IFBA to phase out processed trans fats

The International Food and Beverage Alliance’s (IFBA) has pledged to phase out industrially-processed trans-fat from the global food supply by 2023. The commitment sets an interesting precedent with regards to how other ‘food villains’ are tackled in processed foods, said GlobalData, a data and analytics company.

IFBA comprises 12 food and beverage leaders including Coca-Cola Company, McDonald’s, Nestle and Unilever. The pledge comes a year after the World Health Organization (WHO) launched an initiative to provide guidance for all countries on how to remove artificial trans fats from their foods, with a view to eradicating the ingredient worldwide by 2023.

WHO has singled out industrially-produced trans fats as the cause of over 500,000 deaths from coronary heart disease globally each year, and its elimination from the food supply represents a simple and effective way to save lives.