WHO honored SFDA for obtaining certificate of recognition of food products in the Kingdom being free from artificial transfats

The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) has received recognition from the World Health Organisation (WHO) for getting a certificate stating that food items in the Kingdom are free of artificial trans fats and industrially generated trans-fatty acids (ITFA).

In this regard, Saudi Arabia was ranked among the top five nations worldwide, along with Denmark, Lithuania, Poland, and Thailand. WHO applauded these nations for putting into place model laws to end ITFA.

Dr. Hisham Aljadhey, CEO of SFDA, praised the WHO's efforts to promote public health and set goals that help lower the incidence of chronic diseases during the awards event on Monday in Geneva.

Saudi Arabia accomplished this in accordance with its Vision 2030 and the Health Sector Transformation Programme, which sought to create a plan for nutritious food and diet. The implementation of policies to lower the amount of salt, sugar, and fat in food products was part of the comprehensive strategy for healthy food and nutrition that the SFDA developed in 2017, according to Aljadhey. The strategy focused on improving societal nutritional patterns and enhancing the nutritional value of food products. Furthermore, food places needed to provide customers with information on calories.