European Interest

Food Safety: New Regulation to cut down presence of trans fatty acids

Flickr/samchills/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Wednesday, April 24, the Commission adopted a new Regulation to set a maximum limit on the use of industrially produced trans-fat in foods in the EU. The measure aims at protecting consumers’ health and providing Europeans with healthier food options. Over the years, a number of scientific studies, including one from the European Food Safety Authority, have stressed that the dietary intakes of trans fat should be as low as possible in order to avoid health risks. The maximum limit set on Wednesday corresponds to 2 grams of industrially produced trans fats per 100 grams of fat in the food intended for the final consumer and food intended for the supply to retail. Also, businesses must provide information on the amounts of trans fat in food supplied to other businesses if the limit of 2 grams is exceeded. This Regulation will apply as from 2 April 2021.

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