The Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) Sunday submit a memorandum to the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority to prevent the unhealthy use of trans fats in foods.
The consumer rights organisation has taken the move as consumption of excessive trans fats is strongly associated with increased risk of severe coronary heart disease, dementia, cognitive impairment and other fatal diseases.
CAB urged the authority to enact rules and regulations immediately to control the excessive use of trans fats or trans fatty acids (TFA) in food, a press release issued by CAB on Sunday evening, said.
The organisation demanded making rules so that trans fat ingredients in all foods should not exceed more than 2.0 per cent of fats and oils.
The demand came at the meeting with the BFSA, organised by CAB. BFSA Chairman Md Abdul Kayowm Sarker presided over the programme.
CAB placed the memorandum to BFSA with signatures of 41,013 consumers.
BFSA members Md Rezaul Karim, Shanawaj Dilruba Khan, Md Monzur Morshed Ahmed, Prof Dr Abdul Alim, BFSA Secretary Md Abdul Naser Khan, Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) country lead Muhammad Ruhul Kuddus, CAB Vice-President SM Nazer Hossain, secretary Humayun Kabir Bhuiyan, among others, also spoke.
According to recent research, conducted by the National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute (NHFHRI), 92 per cent of Partially Hydrogenated Oils (PHOs), popularly known as Dalda, sampled in Dhaka, contained excessive levels of TFA.
World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that excessive intake of industrially produced TFA is responsible for more than 0.5 million deaths linked to heart disease globally every year.
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