Representatives of the CSOs discussing elimination of trans fat in Nigeria

TFAs are common in baked goods, fries, pre-
packaged foods, and cooking oils.
By Ifeoluwa Adediran

A group of civil society organisations (CSOs) has
called on the Nigerian government to formulate a
policy towards the elimination of trans-fatty acids
(TFAs) from the food supply in the country.

The call was made on Tuesday during a conference
on “Trans fat and Cardiovascular Disease:
Protecting the Health of the Populace through TFA
Regulation.”

Some of the groups present were the Network for
Health Equity and Development (NHED), Global
Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), Corporate
Accountability and Public Participation Africa
(CAPPA), Nigeria Heart Foundation (NHF), and
others.

Trans-fatty acids

Trans-fatty acids are unhealthy fats that come in
both artificial and natural forms. Artificial trans fats
are formed through an industrial process called
hydrogenation, in which companies add hydrogen to vegetable oil and other products.

Foods containing trans fats are artery-clogging and
increase cholesterol levels in humans, which experts claim cause high risk of cardiovascular disease.

TFAs are said to be common in baked goods, fries,
pre-packaged foods, and cooking oils. Butter,
salmon, egg yolks and cows’ milk are also natural
sources of trans fat.

To reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, the
World Health Organisation ( WHO) advocated the
elimination of TFAs in countries and released a
guide called ‘REPLACE’ for governments to follow.

Why Nigeria needs to eliminate trans-fat

Speaking at the conference, Joy Amafah, the Nigeria
Coordinator for GHAI said cardiovascular deaths are
one of the leading causes of deaths worldwide and
that industrially produced trans-fat (iTFA) is a risk
factor for cardiovascular diseases.

According to the Institute for Health Metrics and
Evaluation (IHME) Global Burden of Disease data
(GBD) Result Tool, Nigeria recorded approximately
854,000 deaths in 2019. Of the figure,
approximately 137,000 deaths were said to be
attributed to cardiovascular diseases and 3,229
attributed to TFA-related cardiovascular deaths.

“It is clear that TFA elimination is important to help
curb preventable deaths in Nigeria,” she said.
Ms Amafah urged the Nigerian government to take
clues from West African countries that have begun
the process towards trans fat elimination.

“Nigeria as a Leader in West Africa has the golden
opportunity to be an example and reinforce this
status by advancing a WHO “best buy” measure for
protecting health, making populations more
productive, and saving on health care costs through
iTFA elimination,” she said.

Giving a presentation on trans-fat in Nigeria and
efforts by the government to eliminate the
dangerous fat, Jerome Mafeni, the Technical Adviser for TFA-free Nigeria Campaign, NHED, said the
government is yet to establish a monitoring system
for TFA in foods or human consumption.

He said although the National Agency for Food and
Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) drafted
the Fats and Oils Regulations of 2014, with an
update in 2020, it is still awaiting final approvals
and gazetting.

“These updated regulations address issues of iTFAs and the use of PHOs in oils, fats, and foods. It
prescribes allowable limits for TFAs in food
products that meet acceptable global standards.

There has, however, been an extensive delay since
the completion of technical drafting for these
approvals to be obtained. These approvals must be
prioritized so that the process of regulations, ” Mr
Mafeni said.

Mr Mafeni explained that the vast majority of TFAs
are produced industrially through hydrogenation and that the Nigerian government must prioritise
regulations towards the elimination of TFAs, and
their replacement with healthy and unsaturated fats.

“TFAs are a significant contributor to cardiovascular
diseases (CVD) worldwide, estimated to contribute
to over half a million deaths every year. iTFAs have
no known health benefits and can readily and safely
be replaced in foods without impacting their
consistency and taste,” he said.

Mr Mafeni added that lack of awareness that TFAs
are a significant public health challenge; lack of
capacity of small and medium food producers to
replace TFAs; and lack of replacement fats and
technology are the challenges facing iTFA
regulations.

Akinbode Oluwafemi, the Executive Director of
CAPPA said Nigeria has not sat by idly in the
global campaign to eliminate trans-fat in foods.

“One of the most far-reaching efforts to ensure our
foods are wholesome and meet the standard the
WHO recommends is the draft “Fat and Oils
Regulations 2019” and the “Pre-Packaged, Ice and
Labelling Regulations of 2019” that the National
Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and
Control (NAFDAC) came up with in 2019.

“It is expected that this draft regulation will be
given the much-needed consent by NAFDAC in no
distant time,” he said.

Mr Oluwafemi said to ensure that Nigeria does not
go below the standard recommended by the WHO
in trans fats elimination, a coalition of non-
governmental organisations under the #
TransFatfreeNigeria Campaign was initiated.

He said through the #TransFatfreeNigeria Campaign,
awareness on the dangers of trans fat will be
created and pressure mounted on the government
for the elimination of TFAs in Nigeria.

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