The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially recognized four countries—Austria, Norway, Oman, and Singapore—for their leadership in eliminating industrially produced trans fats from their food supply. The countries were awarded validation certificates during the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva, signifying successful implementation of best-practice policies and robust monitoring systems.
While these recognitions mark a significant milestone, global progress in eliminating trans fats remains sluggish. As of May 2025, only 60 countries have adopted effective trans fat elimination policies, covering just 46% of the world’s population.
Understanding Trans Fats
Trans fats, or trans-fatty acids (TFA), are unsaturated fats found in both natural and industrial forms. While naturally occurring trans fats exist in small amounts in meat and dairy products, industrially produced trans fats—commonly found in baked goods, fried foods, margarine, and vegetable shortening—pose a severe health risk. These harmful fats are linked to over 278,000 deaths globally each year, primarily due to cardiovascular diseases.
WHO’s 2018 Call to Action
In 2018, WHO launched a global initiative calling for the elimination of industrially produced trans fats by the end of 2025. The initial goal was to ensure countries representing 90% of the global trans fat burden adopted elimination measures. At the time, only 11 countries had implemented best-practice policies, covering just 6% of the global population. WHO has since revised its goal to achieve at least 70% policy coverage in each region by 2025.
Policy Implementation and Global Progress
The newly recognized countries have shown that eliminating trans fats is feasible with strong public health policies, industry collaboration, and consistent enforcement. India, for example, has made significant progress by capping trans fats in food products to 2% since January 2022. In Africa, both South Africa and Nigeria have introduced best-practice policies as part of their national health strategies.
Economic and Health Benefits
Eliminating industrial trans fats is among the most cost-effective public health interventions. According to WHO, replacing trans fats with healthier alternatives can reduce the burden of cardiovascular diseases, lower healthcare costs, and improve population health. This preventive measure also offers long-term economic benefits by enhancing productivity and reducing premature mortality.
WHO’s Continued Commitment
WHO reaffirmed its commitment to supporting countries in the global fight against trans fats. The organization is now accepting applications for the third round of its validation program, open until August 31, 2025. To qualify, countries must adopt WHO-recommended best-practice policies and demonstrate strict enforcement and compliance mechanisms.