Law Group Warns Food Companies: Eliminate Trans Fat Before FDA Deadline

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“One year left. The food industry must ensure that the food they produce and offer for sale to the public is safe and trans fat-free.”

This is the statement of the law group ImagineLaw today, a year before the deadline for the food industry to remove their processed food products with trans fatty acids (TFA) from the market, as set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) through Circular No. 2021-028 which mandates food manufacturers, producers, and distributors to reformulate their products and shift towards a TFA-free food production by June 18, 2023.

TFA is a toxic food additive that increases the risks of heart disease and other non-communicable diseases (NCD). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), trans fat is unnecessary and causes only health harms. To address the prevalence of NCDs, the WHO urged countries to remove trans fat from the global food supply by 2023.

“Industry compliance is crucial in achieving our goal of a trans fat-free Philippines by 2023. With a year before the deadline, we urge the food industry to act now and remove TFA from their food production,” said Atty. Mary Grace Anne Rosales - Sto. Domingo, ImagineLaw’s project manager.

Beginning June 19, 2023, pre-packed and processed food items with TFA or partially hydrogenated oil (PHO) should not be offered for sale in groceries, convenience stores, and the like. Food producers, distributors, and sellers are mandated to exhaust their existing product stocks with high TFA content and PHO before the said deadline.

They are also required to reformulate and apply for a Certificate of Product Registration (CPR), an accreditation for evaluated products that are proven safe and healthy.

After the transitory period, violation of the Circular’s provisions can result in the disapproval of the establishment’s application, and CPR suspension or cancellation.

The FDA regulations implement the Department of Health (DOH) Administrative Order No. 2021-0039 regulating TFA in processed and pre-packaged food items. The national policy was issued as part of the government’s effort to curb NCDs in the country and join the global effort to eliminate trans fat.

“The government and civil society advocated for measures against the harmful TFA. It is now in the hands of the food industry to join the collective health effort by complying with the FDA regulations on time,” Sto. Domingo emphasized.