Islamabad  -  Stakeholders on food and health regulations have urged the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) to adopt a single and uncompromising standard for iTFA content in food products as it is essential to protect public health and uphold Pakistan’s commitment to safe food practices.

This demand was raised on Tuesday through a campaign being run by the TRANSFORM Pakistan — a coalition led by Pakistan Youth Change Advocates (PYCA), guided by the Federal Health Ministry and supported by key partners such as the Global Health Advocacy Incubator, Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI), and Heartfile.

They emphasized for adopting a unified standard for iTFAs across Pakistan is significant to align with the World Health Organisation (WHO) guideline of less than 2 grams of transfats per 100 grams of total fats in all foods.

This effort, under the patronage of the Health Ministry is essential to protect public health and uphold Pakistan’s commitment to safe food practices, they maintained in a statement issued by the TRANSFORM Pakistan.

According to medical research, industrially produced trans-fats, commonly found in partially hydrogenated oils, baked goods, ultra-processed and street foods as well as dairy products, are well-documented to cause serious health issues, particularly cardiovascular diseases, which result in over 200,000 deaths each year in Pakistan. They are also responsible for the rising tide of other non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Pakistan including diabetes, various cancers, obesity, stroke and Alzheimer’s Disease.

The campaigners say, with such an immense impact on public health, it is vital for the country to take a definitive stand against iTFAs, adopting WHO’s stringent 2-gram limit as a nationwide standard. Such a unified policy is necessary to ensure that all Pakistanis have equal access to safe food, regardless of their location or socioeconomic status.

Globally, countries are implementing strict iTFA limits to safeguard their citizens’ health, and Pakistan must do the same. This moment calls for a PSQCA resolution that avoids any industry-influenced compromise. Public health policies should prioritize the well-being of citizens over profit motives, the remarked.

 This initiative is a crucial move to protect the health and safety of millions of Pakistanis now and in the future. The TRANSFORM Pakistan campaign and its partners are hopeful that PSQCA will prioritize public health and well-being and swiftly move towards a mandatory regulation that meets WHO standards.