Regulate or ‘REPLACE’: Industrial Trans Fats and the Escalating Cost of heart diseases in Uganda

Industrially produced trans fatty acids (iTFAs) were introduced into the food supply in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a cheaper, more stable alternative to animal fats . They are produced primarily by
partial hydrogenation of vegetable and fish oils to create partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs). PHOs were developed because they are less expensive than butter and other animal fats, provide a solid or semi solid texture at room temperature, offer high temperature stability for frying, and extend shelf life properties that made them attractive to bakers, food manufacturers, and street food vendors .

Today, iTFAs are most frequently found in baked and fried foods, prepared or pre packaged snacks, spreads such as margarines, and some cooking fats such as food shortenings and oils . They confer no known health benefit but are high-risk factors for cardiovascular diseases such as heart failure, stroke, and coronary heart disease, among others . By the late 20th century, an extensive body of evidence had accumulated showing adverse metabolic effects of iTFAs and a consistent association between iTFA intake and coronary heart disease; meta analyses and population studies report substantially increased risks associated with higher iTFA consumption .

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