A Healthier Pakistan

Imagine a typical day in Pak­istan-families preparing meals, school canteens serving snacks, and street vendors offer­ing quick bites to go. In many of these foods, industrially produced trans fats (iT­FAs) are lurking, hidden behind familiar names like margarine, bis­cuits, bakery products, and fried snacks. While they might add a satisfy­ing crunch or creaminess to our meals, these trans fats are among the leading contributors to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as, cardiovascular diseas­es (CVDs), increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Shock­ingly, trans fats are linked to over 200,000 deaths caused by CVDs in Pakistan each years. The cost of trans-fat intake due to prema­ture mortality from CVDs in Pak­istan is estimated to be USD 459 million per annum.

In recognition of this dan­ger, global health experts and the World Health Organization (WHO) have set strict limits on the use of iTFAs in food. These regulatory measures include, im­plementing a 2% limit on iTFAs of total fats in all foods and the ur­gent need for a legislative ban on the production and distribution of partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), the primary raw materi­al used in the making of industri­al trans fats.

Many people might wonder why this ban on PHO is so important. The answer is simple, our health and well-being are at risk, as PHOs are the largest source of iT­FAs in the food supply. Processed foods, which are part of many ev­eryday diets, often contain PHOs. These oils are known to increase the risk of heart disease by raising bad cholesterol levels and lower­ing good cholesterol levels. I firm­ly believe that every Pakistani deserves access to safe and nutri­tious food. Our current situation, where many processed foods con­tain dangerous levels of industrial trans fats, is not acceptable.

This is particularly concerning in a country like ours, where di­etary habits are rapidly chang­ing resulting in a sharp spike in NCDs as well as the public health management challenges that they pose for a cash-strapped econ­omy such as ours. In 2021, $2.6 billion are estimated to treat dia­betes annually and research sug­gests that this economic burden will increase to $4.4 billion dol­lars by 2045.

Continuing to allow these harm­ful trans fats in our food not only affects individual health but also burdens our healthcare system and economy with preventable dis­eases. The transition to regulating industrial trans fats and banning the use of PHOs may require time, resources and effort, but the long-term dividends in terms of public health, lower medical costs, eco­nomic gains and a stronger, health­ier nation are worth this haul.

The legislative journey to re­form food safety standards is not an easy one, but it is a journey we must undertake with urgency and determination. There are so many examples from which Paki­stan can also drive its inspiration. Sixty-three countries across the globe, including those with sim­ilar socio-economic indicators have already adopted the interna­tional best practice policy to curb iTFA. Many of those not mere­ly regulating industrial trans fats to less than 2% of the total fats in all foods but have also complete­ly banned the production and dis­tribution of PHOs outright. As the Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technolo­gy, I understand the pressing need for policy changes that safeguard public health and feel that our ef­forts should never be in isolation, rather, all stakeholders includ­ing policymakers, health experts, civil society and concerned citi­zens must work together to advo­cate for better health policies. By adopting the best policy practice, we will certainly be taking a clear and decisive step towards saving millions of lives.

With the efforts of Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA), we are gear­ing our efforts to cover all foods with iTFA limits through food standards. However, it is chal­lenging to regulate street foods and several source of iTFAs due to limited enforcement capacity of the provincial regulatory bodies. At the same time, the primary and the major source material used in the preparation of iTFAs, i.e., par­tially hydrogenated oils must also be simultaneously banned across the country. This last step is es­pecially necessary for a country such as Pakistan where food au­thorities currently have limited technical, financial and human resource capacity to enforce the iTFA standards in every nook and corner of the country. If the pro­duction and dissemination of the primary raw material used in the production of iTFAs is banned al­together, this would significant­ly minimize the risk of industrial trans fats in our food supply.

I call upon my fellow legislators to join me in this crucial cause and push for a legislative ban on PHOs. It is not merely a regulatory change-it is a commitment to the well-being of every Pakistani. It is about ensuring that the food we consume nourishes us rather than harms us. It is about taking pro­active steps today so that future generations can enjoy a healthier, more vibrant tomorrow.

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