Austria's pioneering role: WHO honors the fight against dangerous trans fats!

Austria's pioneering role: WHO honors the fight against dangerous trans fats!

On May 19, 2025, Austria received significant recognition for its ongoing efforts to combat harmful trans fats. Health Minister Korinna Schumann accepted the “Trans Fat Elimination Validation Certificate” from the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva. The award highlights Austria's pioneering role in reducing trans fats, which, according to the WHO, are responsible for up to 300,000 deaths from coronary heart disease every year.

In 2009, Austria became the second country in the world, after Denmark, to introduce laws to abolish trans fats. Since then, the level of trans fats in foods has fallen significantly and the majority of products meet the established limits in routine controls. These developments are not only a sign of effective political measures, but also of a growing awareness in society about the health risks.

Global initiative and progress

In addition to Austria, Norway, Oman and Singapore are also involved in the WHO initiative to eliminate industrially produced trans fats. These countries have consistently banned trans fats from their domestic foods and established effective monitoring systems. According to a recent WHO report, the urgent need for action is clear: trans fats have no health benefits and significantly increase the risk of heart disease. In comparison, nearly 60 countries, representing about 46% of the world's population, have already implemented comprehensive strategies to eliminate trans fats, representing significant progress.

An interim report from the WHO also highlights the health risks of trans fats, which are considered unsaturated fatty acids, in contrast to normal unsaturated fatty acids. Trans fat consumption is associated with higher mortality from cardiovascular disease. Every year, more than 278,000 people die from cardiovascular disease caused by the consumption of these fats.

Elimination strategies and outlook

By 2023, conditions to combat trans fats were already firmly established in our food systems for 3.7 billion people. WHO continues to call on all countries to take appropriate action and join the global movement to eliminate trans fats. In this context, Minister Schumann calls on all nations to recognize the challenges and strengthen their strategies to eliminate trans fats in order to protect public health.

In summary, it can be said that Austria serves as a positive example through its pioneering role and consistent policy in the fight against trans fats. However, the path to complete elimination of these harmful fats requires constant monitoring and consistent action at the international level. While less than 6% of the global population implemented proven strategies to combat trans fats in 2018, this number has now increased to almost 46%, underscoring the urgency and relevance of this issue.

For more information about the harmful effects of trans fats and global initiatives, read the reports OTS, Nah and Mirror.