NAFDAC offers eight months food companies to eliminate trans fats

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has given Nigerian food producers an 18-month grace period to gradually eliminate trans-grassing industrially produced acids (TFA), setting a deadline for conformity at the beginning of 2026.

According to the new regulation, trans fats in food must not exceed two grams per 100 grams of fat or total oil, aligning Nigeria with the best global practices.

The moratorium should allow companies to exhaust existing actions, update the labeling and reformulate products to satisfy the new legal limit.

The general manager of Nafdac, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, described the move both as a technical milestone and a “moral imperative”, underlining that the elimination of TFA is urgent for the protection of public health.

“The removal of trans fats produced industrially from the food chain is not only a technical result, but a moral imperative,” he said in a declaration issued on Friday.

Trans fats, a risk factor known for cardiovascular diseases, strokes and premature death, are the goal of global elimination campaigns led by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Nigeria was recognized by the WHO in 2023 for the adoption of Best-Practice TFA policies and Nafdac states that the roadmap will ensure full validation of the Nigeria elimination program.

The agency urged the national collaboration to guarantee regular implementation, positioning Nigeria as a regional leader in the regulation of public health.

Related