Context: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has capped the amount of trans fatty acids (TFA) in oils and fats to 3% for 2021 and 2% by 2022 .
Key Points

• It was done through an amendment to the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulations.
• The current permissible limit of trans fat is 5%. 
• It was in 2011 that India first passed a regulation that set a TFA limit of 10% in oils and fats, which was further reduced to 5% in 2015. 
• Applicable to: The revised regulation applies to edible refined oils, vanaspati (partially hydrogenated oils), margarine, bakery shortenings, and other mediums of cooking such as vegetable fat spreads and mixed fat spreads.

What are Trans Fats?

• Trans fats are a form of unsaturated fat associated with a number of negative health effects. 
• Artificial trans fat is created during hydrogenation, which converts liquid vegetable oils into semi-solid partially hydrogenated oil. 
• Trans fat can also be found naturally in meat and dairy.

Two types of trans fats

• There are two broad types of trans fats found in foods — naturally-occurring and artificial trans fats.
• Milk and meat products, for instance, have naturally-occurring trans fats. 
• Artificial trans fats (or trans fatty acids) are generated in food items during an industrial process that adds hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to make them more solid.
• The artificial trans fats can be found in several food items, including doughnuts, cakes, biscuits, pizzas and cookies. Usually their presence is listed on food labels, expressed as trans fats per serving or as ‘partially hydrogenated oils’.

Rationale behind: Industrial trans fats are highly toxic compounds that can lead to several non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases.

• Heart risks: Trans fats are associated with increased risk of heart attacks and death from coronary heart disease. 
• According to the American Heart Association (AHA), trans fats raise bad (LDL) cholesterol levels. 
• They also lower good (HDL) cholesterol levels. High LDL along with low HDL levels can cause cholesterol to build up in blood vessels, increasing the risk for heart disease and stroke.
• As per the World Health Organisation (WHO), approximately 5.4 lakh deaths take place each year globally because of intake of industrially produced trans fatty acids. 
• The WHO has also called for global elimination of trans fats by 2023.The WHO has also called for global elimination of trans fats by 2023.

Covid-19: Cardiovascular diseases along with diabetes are proving fatal for COVID-19 patients.

• FSSAI has been working on three main agendas that include fortification of food items, issue of High Fat, Sugar and Salt (HFSS), and trans fats. A tweak in manufacturing processes, accompanied by innovation can lead to reduction in these levels.

About FSSAI

• It has been established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
• FSSAI and the State Food Safety Authorities enforce various provisions of the Act.
• The adulteration of food is a subject in the Concurrent List of the Constitution.
• The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India is the Administrative Ministry for the implementation of FSSAI.

FSSAI has been mandated by the FSS Act, 2006 for performing the following functions:

• Framing of Regulations to lay down the Standards and guidelines in relation to articles of food and specifying appropriate system of enforcing various standards thus notified.
• Laying down mechanisms and guidelines for accreditation of certification bodies engaged in certification of food safety management system for food businesses.
• To provide scientific advice and technical support to Central Government and State Governments.
• Collect and collate data regarding food consumption and introduction of rapid alert system.
• Creating an information network across the country so that the public, consumers, Panchayats etc receive rapid, reliable and objective information about food safety and issues of concern.
• Provide training programmes for persons 
• Contribute to the development of international technical standards for food, sanitary and phyto-sanitary standards.
• Promote general awareness about food safety and food standards.

Also Read: https://abhipedia.abhimanu.com/Article/IAS/MjIwOTA4/Trans-fat--A-major-concern-for-South-Asian-countries-says-WHO-Science-Affairs-IAS