NAFDAC unveils new regulation to tackle consumption of fat in meals

The National Agency for food and drug administration and control (NAFDAC) has unveiled a regulation to tackle the amount of consumption of fat & oils in meals.

Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director General of NAFDAC presented the new regulation which replaces the Fats and Oil regulation 2005.

The newly gazetted reviewed regulation known as Fats, Oil and Food Containing Fats and Oil Regulation 2022 will address the second pathway for elimination of industrially iTFAs with the limit of not more than 2% (0.02ppm) of the total fats in a fat, oil and food containing fats and oil products as recommended by World Health Organisation (WHO).

According to Prof. Mojisola, “At the 2018 World Health Assembly in Geneva the WHO called on countries to eliminate industrially-produced Trans fats – Trans Fatty Acid (TFAs) from global food supplies. The Agency released an action package called REPLACE that includes policy recommendations and interventions for governments to pursue.”

“W.H.O has recommended one of these two policy pathways for implementation: Banning the use of partially hydrogenated oils, that is the source of industrially produced TFAs, in all foods OR Setting limits on the amount of industrially produced TFAs produced to not more than 2% of the total fat content in all Foods.”

“NAFDAC with the co-operation, collaboration and support of the Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Ministry of Justice and the Trans-Fat Coalition Partners in Nigeria have worked assiduously towards achieving the two-prong pathways. The coalition partners include but not limited to Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), Network for Health Equity and Development (NHED), Corporate Accountability & Public Participation Africa (CAPPA),” She said.

The DG further revealed that the Agency is working with the industry and partners to find alternative source to the existing partially hydrogenated oils that are the source of iTFA.

She added that the Pre-packaged Food Labelling Regulation 2005 has also been reviewed to take care of the labelling requirement for Trans-fats hence we now have a reviewed and gazetted Pre-Packaged Food Labelling Regulation 2022.

Prof. Adeyeye concluded by restating NAFDAC’s commitment to fully implement and utilize the regulations to protect the health of the public