Cargill Edible Oils Meet WHO Policy On Eliminating Industrially Produced Trans Fats

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 2 (Bernama) -- Cargill has announced that the company’s fats and oils comply with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended maximum tolerance level for industrially produced trans-fatty acids (iTFA) in fats and oils.

According to Cargill in a statement, it is the first global supplier whose entire worldwide edible oils portfolio meets the WHO’s best practice standard on iTFAs, limiting iTFA content to no more than two grammes (g) per 100 g of fats/oils, including in countries where there is currently no legislative mandate.

While Cargill announced its commitment to removing iTFAs from its fats and oils portfolio in December 2021, the milestone reflects decades of work.

Cargill vice president for edible oils and managing director for North America, Natasha Orlova said the company has met its commitment and helped fulfil its purpose by nourishing the world in a safe, responsible and sustainable way.

“Taking this industry-leading step, even in countries without current iTFA legislation, helps ensure consistency in their supply chain for larger food manufacturers, while offering Cargill’s breadth of innovation and experience to smaller manufacturers.

“We have proven it is not only feasible to meet the iTFA recommendations while being mindful of saturated fat levels, but it can also be done without discernibly changing the taste or texture of consumers’ favourite foods. We call upon other industry players to follow our lead and remove iTFAs from all their products, too,” she said.

In the past two years, Cargill has invested an additional US$8.5 million to upgrade facilities to reduce the amount of transfat produced during oil processing, while working closely with more than 100 additional customers in two dozen countries to reformulate new product solutions that meet their needs. (US$1=RM4.72)

To ensure compliance, Cargill has added iTFAs to its larger food safety and quality assurance programme, in which this includes multiple layers of monitoring, compliance and auditing.

Cargill has also taken steps to help advance industry-wide reformulation during the past two years, and among its actions, in Malaysia and Mexico, the company interacted with industry, academic and government stakeholders to raise awareness of WHO best practices, while sharing experiences and expertise in iTFA reformulation.

-- BERNAMA