WHO Praises Impact of Argentina’s Trans Fats Regulations

The World Health Organization (WHO) said Argentina’s efforts to reduce or remove trans fat content of foods has been a great success, with almost 95% of companies in compliance by 2015, the FoodNavigator-Latam.com reported.  Argentina has amended its food code in 2010, el Codigo Alimentario Argentino (CAA),  set deadlines to comply with limits on trans fats, as well as providing small and medium-sized companies with guidance on how to replace industrially-produced trans fats. 
  
The CAA limits gave companies two years to meet the 2% limit of trans fats in margarines and vegetable oils, and five years for the 5% limit in other products.  Data showed that by 2014, almost 75% of food products were in compliance, with compliance up to 93% just one year later.  

Argentina’s approach to eliminating trans fat was described as “innovative and pioneering” by Dr. Fabio Gomes, Regional Nutrition Advisor at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the Regional Office of the Americas for WHO, in an article published on the WHO website.