Book Description

WHO published in 2020 a comprehensive protocol for measuring and monitoring industrially produced trans-fatty acids (TFA), intended to serve as a reference method that is globally applicable for surveillance and monitoring of TFA content for different types of foods. Although this WHO reference protocol was successfully implemented in several laboratories worldwide, some laboratories, especially those operating on a tight budget, had difficulties adopting it. To address the above challenges, WHO held a two-day, virtual WHO expert consultation meeting on 27 and 30 June 2022 to discuss simplified procedures and other suitable alternatives that enable laboratories operating with limited resources to conduct fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) analysis. Based on this expert consultation, the WHO Laboratory Protocol – Simplified protocol for measuring trans-fatty acids content as a percentage of total fatty acids in food products was developed. This fit-for-purpose protocol provides the data that are required for governments’ surveillance and monitoring activities to check the trend of TFA content in food products on the market and ensure that food products comply with regulations for TFA elimination.