How many Kenyan households truly understand what industrially produced trans-fatty acids (iTFAs) are or how they potentially end up in certain foods we consume daily, such as cooking oils, margarines, and ultra-processed products? More importantly, how many of us take time to read and interpret the nutrition label on these products? That small label, often ignored, holds the key to protecting our health. It tells us what we are putting into our bodies, yet few consumers realize that behind some of those ingredients lie silent killers, such as trans fats that contribute to cardiovascular diseases and deaths. There are two types of trans-fatty acids a) Industrially produced trans fats, which are formed through a chemical process called partial hydrogenation, where hydrogen is added to unsaturated fats, turning them into solid or semi-solid fats. These are commonly found in baked goods, fried snacks, and processed foods; and b) Naturally occurring trans fats, found in ruminant animal products such as meat and dairy. While frying oil and reheating used oils at very high temperatures can slightly increase trans-fat levels, this amount is minimal, usually around 2-3%compared to the dangerous level found in partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) used in industrial food production.

Trans fats have no known health benefits, yet they pose serious health risks. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) account for 13% of all deaths and 25% of hospital admissions in our country. The Kenya National Guidelines for Cardiovascular Diseases Management (2024), identify poor dietary habits, especially high intake of unhealthy fats, as one of the leading modifiable risk factors for CVDs.

The government, through the Ministry of Health, took an important step with the Food, Drugs and Chemical Substances (Food Labelling, Additives and Standards) (Amendment) Regulation of 2015, which aimed to regulate trans fats. However, these regulations lacked a clear and enforceable TFA limit, leaving consumers vulnerable to continued exposure. Other countries, such as South Africa, Nigeria, and Egypt, have implemented a strict limit of not more than 2% iTFA in total fats as recommended by the World Health Organisation. Denmark’s mandatory elimination of iTFA accounted for approximately 11% of the substantial reduction in CHD deaths observed between 1991 and 2007[3] and Several New York State jurisdictions have restricted the use of ingredients containing artificial trans fat in food service establishments, the results indicated that the policy caused a 4.5% reduction in CVD mortality rates, or 13 fewer CVD deaths per 100,000 persons per year[4].. Science is clear, the global best practice is known, and the public health case is undeniable. Kenya can and should follow suit to enact and enforce robust iTFA regulations that will safeguard public health for generations.

As former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon aptly stated, “A healthy population is a key driver of economic growth and stability. Without health, there is no development. When citizens are healthy, they are more productive, innovative, and economically active.” Regulating iTFAs is therefore not just a public health imperative, but it is an economic strategy. Every Kenyan deserves the right to safe, healthy food. Kenya can protect its citizens by adopting a clear and enforceable limit on industrially produced trans-fats. Every smart regulation we pass and every life we save matters, as protecting public health is not just a moral duty but the smartest economic policy we can make as a country.

[1] https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/trans-fat

[2] http://guidelines.health.go.ke:8000/media/Kenya_National_Guidelines_for_Cardiovascular_Diseases_Management.pdf

[3] Bjoernsbo KS, Joensen AM, Joergensen T, Lundbye-Christensen S, Bysted A, Christensen T, et al. (2022) Quantifying benefits of the Danish transfat ban for coronary heart disease mortality 1991–2007: Socioeconomic analysis using the IMPACTsec model. PLoS ONE 17(8): e0272744. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0272744

[4] Restrepo BJ, Rieger M. Trans fat and cardiovascular disease mortality: Evidence from bans in restaurants in New York. J Health Econ. 2016 Jan;45:176-96. doi: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2015.09.005. Epub 2015 Nov 24. PMID: 26620830.