MANILA, Philippines — Local food manufacturers are now required to reformulate and remove trans fatty acids (TFA) from their products.
Rodley Desmond Carza, of the Department of Health (DOH) health promotions bureau, said food manufacturers have two years to eliminate TFA.
“By 2023, we hope that industrially produced TFA will be eliminated from our nation’s food supply,” Carza said in a virtual press briefing yesterday.
Known as the “tobacco of food,” TFA has no known benefit and the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended its limited consumption, Carza said.
He said removal of TFA would not affect the taste of food and cost of production.
Last June, the DOH issued an administrative order providing for the elimination of industrially produced TFA for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and other non-communicable illnesses, which account for a large number of deaths in the country.
Eliminating TFA in food products, Carza said, will decrease risks of heart disease and premature deaths.
Industrially produced TFA can be found mostly in pre-packaged goods, baked products as well as spread, butter and shortening.
Other countries have already committed to eliminate TFA and the issuance of the AO, Carza said,will prevent the possibility of the Philippines becoming a dumping ground for TFA-laced food products.
Carza said Food and Drug Administration is mandated with regulations on the elimination of TFA in two years. During the period, food manufacturers must reformulate their products to avoid penalties.
Food manufacturers, he said, are supportive of the new policy and are just seeking assistance from the DOH for compliance.