Britannia: removes trans fats from its range of baked products

Mumbai / IN. (bi) Following the study by the Indian Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on major vanaspati brands and trans fats level in packaged food products, Britannia Industries Limited, member of the Indian Wadia Group, has decided to remove trans fats from its range of baked products. The company claims to be the first bakery player to remove trans fats from its products on the subcontinent.

During the last decade, conclusive scientific evidence has linked the consumption of industrially produced trans fatty acids (TFAs) with alterations of metabolism of blood lipids, vascular inflammation and the development of cardio-vascular diseases. According to the statement issued by the company, in the last 18 months Britannia has already removed around 8’500 tonnes of trans fats from its products and moved around 56’000 tonnes of hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) to vegetable oil usage.

With the initiative, the company seeks to meet consumers´ needs who like health and taste to co-exist in the food, and improvise nutrition through removal of unhealthy content (trans fats) with addition of nutrients through fortification. Britannia said in a statement that the recommendations of international agencies like World Health Organization WHO) and Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) have urged for the replacement of TFAs in manufactured food with unsaturated fat in India.