Nutrition remains a top priority in Ukraine despite the ongoing war: the fight against trans fats

Abstract

### Summary box Nutrition remains a critical priority in Ukraine, even in the midst of the ongoing war. One of the specific nutrition-related concerns that many countries, including Ukraine, have been addressing is the reduction of trans fats and especially the elimination of industrially produced trans fats in the food supply. Trans fatty acids (TFA), or trans fats, are either naturally occurring or industrially synthesised type of unsaturated fatty acids with at least one double bond in the trans configuration. Industrially produced trans fats are synthesised via the partial hydrogenation of vegetable oils, which results in a semi-solid fat that is often used as a cheaper alternative to butter, has a longer shelf life and imparts desirable texture to food products. This makes trans fats more commonly found in food products that contain high amounts of partially hydrogenated oils, such as margarine, shortenings, cookies, cakes, breads and other industrially prepared foods. Developed and once widely used for their beneficial characteristics for the food industry, epidemiological evidence has since emerged on the association between regular consumption of trans fats and increased risk of non-communicable diseases (NCD), especially coronary heart disease. Approximately, 540 000 deaths each year may be attributed to intake of industrially produced TFAs.1 High TFA intake increases all-cause mortality by 34%, coronary heart disease deaths by 28% and coronary heart disease by 21%.2 This is likely due to their effect on increasing …