Industrially produced trans-fatty acids (TFA) cause heart disease and death. They are not necessary in food and can be eliminated. Industrially produced TFA are used in baked and fried foods, pre-packaged snacks, and certain cooking oils and fats that are used at home, in restaurants or in street food. TFA in food are estimated to be responsible for more than half a million deaths around the world each year – mostly in low- and middle-income countries.
WHO monitors countries' progress in implementing legislative and other measures to reduce and eliminate industrially produced TFA and has developed the TFA Country Score Card to track countries’ performance on a continuous basis. The Score Card shows countries that have best-practice TFA policies, less restrictive TFA limits, other complementary measures, or a national policy commitment to eliminate TFA. The Score Card also shows countries that have adopted best-practice TFA policies that will come into effect at a later date, as well existence of monitoring mechanisms in countries with mandatory TFA limits.
Population Group
More than half of the world's population is currently covered by mandatory TFA limits
1. National policy commitment to eliminate TFA: National policies, strategies or action plans that express a commitment to reduce industrially produced TFA in the food supply
2. Other complementary measures: Legislative or other measures that encourage consumers to make healthier choices about industrially produced TFA or mandatory limits on industrially produced TFA in foods in specific settings
3. Less restrictive TFA limits: Legislative or regulatory measures that limit industrially produced TFA in foods in all settings, but are less restrictive than the recommended approach
4. Best-practice TFA policy: Legislative or regulatory measures that limit industrially produced TFA in foods in all settings, and are in line with the recommended approach
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Best-practice TFA policy passed but not yet in effect- Monitoring mechanism for mandatory TFA limits
- Missing data
Missing data – there has either been no action to reduce and eliminate TFA from the food supply or the status is unknown.
Percentage data – indicates the % of the total population covered by mandatory limits on TFA in food (i.e. the share of world’s population that lives in Score 3 and 4 countries).
Detailed information on the specific policy measures in each country that contribute towards the achievement of the scores is available here.
Read more about WHO's work to support the elimination of industrially-produced trans fat in countries https://www.who.int/teams/nutrition-and-food-safety/replace-trans-fat.
Updated 28 September 2023.