India Extends Deadline for 3 Percent Trans Fat Cap on Edible Oils

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has extended the deadline for a 3% limit on the amount of trans fatty acids (TFA) in oils and fat from January 2021 to April this year, according to report in The Economic Times last January.“In view of representations received from the industry and to facilitate smooth transition from the industry to the new norms for trans fatty acids (TFAs), it is directed that the enforcement for the limit of 3% by weight shall commence on 1 April 2021,” the FSSAI said.

The revised regulation covers edible refined oils, vanaspati (partially hydrogenated oils), margarine, bakery shortenings and other mediums of cooking such as vegetable fat spreads and mixed fat spreads. However, the deadline to reduce trans fatty acid to 2% remained the same, on January 01, 2022.

The move to reduce TFAs had followed a call by the World Health Organization (WHO) for the global elimination TFAs by 2023. Industry players had been made to take a pledge in 2018 to comply with the WHO’s call for action to reduce TFAs by 3% by 2021, giving them three years to comply with the latest regulation.