SINGAPORE — A major source of trans fat will soon be banned from all pre-packaged foods such as instant noodles, oils and snacks sold here.

Announcing the move during a debate on the budget of the Ministry of Health (MOH), Mr Amrin Amin, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Health, said on Wednesday (March 6) that partially hydrogenated oils is a kind of artificial trans fat that is found in pre-packaged products such as oils, snacks, baked foods, prepared meals and fat spreads. 

The ban on partially hydrogenated oils, he added, “should not have an adverse effect on Singaporeans’ food options and cost”. He told the House that MOH has consulted the local food industry, which is “generally supportive”.

The ban will apply to all pre-packaged food products. At the moment, regulations on trans fat apply only to fats and oils, Mr Amrin said. 

In a separate statement, MOH said that based on consultations with the industry, alternatives such as sunflower and canola oil, which are unsaturated and healthier, may be used.

The ministry will continue consulting industry players and work with relevant agencies to work out how to implement the ban, it added. More details will be released in due time. 

Citing the World Health Organization (WHO), Mr Amrin noted that artificial trans fat increases the risk of heart disease and has no known health benefits. 

The WHO has called for countries to remove artificial trans fat from the food supply.

Canda, Thailand and the United States have also banned partially hydrogenated oils.

TRANS-FAT LAWS AND CONSUMPTION

In 2013, Singapore introduced legislation to limit the amount of trans-fat content in fats and oils sold in Singapore to 2 per cent. 

The regulation covers all locally manufactured and imported fats and oils that are supplied to food service establishments and manufacturers here, as well as those sold in shops and supermarkets. 

This has helped to reduce the average daily trans-fat intake among Singaporeans from 2g in 2010 to 1g last year, Mr Amrin said.

MOH said that fewer than 10 per cent of food products in the market today contain partially hydrogenated oils, which is mainly used to preserve shelf life.