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Trans fats are unsaturated fatty acids found in two forms: industrially produced fats, usually made when liquid oils are partially hydrogenated, and naturally occurring fats in the meat and dairy of ruminant animals such as cattle, sheep and goats. The World Health Organization (WHO) says trans fat has no known health benefit and links high intake with cardiovascular disease and premature death.
WHO recommends that adults keep trans fat below 1% of total energy—less than 2.2 grams per day on a 2,000-calorie diet—and avoid industrially produced trans fats. That is population-level guidance, not a personal treatment target. Understanding where trans fats occur, how to identify industrial sources and which fats can replace partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) makes the advice practical.
What are trans fats?
Trans fats, also called trans-fatty acids, are a type of unsaturated fatty acid. Their chemical structure includes a trans arrangement around a carbon double bond. In food, they come from either industrial processing or the digestive systems of ruminant animals.
Industrial trans fats and partially hydrogenated oils
Manufacturers can add hydrogen to liquid vegetable oil to make it more solid, stable and resistant to rancidity. Partial hydrogenation produces partially hydrogenated oils, or PHOs, and creates industrially produced trans fats as a by-product. PHOs were historically used in some margarines, vegetable shortenings, Vanaspati ghee, baked goods and fried foods because they provided useful texture and longer shelf life.
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High-temperature frying can also create a modest increase in trans fat. WHO says this amount is low compared with the trans fat formed in PHOs, so repeated or very hot frying is not equivalent to the major industrial source.
Naturally occurring trans fats
Ruminant animals have a different digestive process that produces small amounts of trans fat. Consequently, meat and dairy products from cattle, sheep and goats can contain naturally occurring trans-fatty acids. These fats are not made by partially hydrogenating vegetable oil.
| Type | Where it forms | Where you may encounter it | WHO-oriented guidance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial | During partial hydrogenation of liquid oils; small amounts can also form during high-temperature frying | Some margarines, shortenings, Vanaspati ghee, packaged baked goods, fried foods and some restaurant or street foods | Avoid industrially produced trans fat and remove PHOs from the food supply |
| Natural | In the digestive systems of ruminant animals | Ruminant meat and dairy | WHO considers both sources harmful, while its food-policy priority is eliminating industrially produced trans fat |
A food category is not proof that every current product contains trans fat. Recipes, suppliers and national rules differ, and many manufacturers have reformulated products. The ingredient list and applicable nutrition label are more reliable than the category name alone.
What foods contain trans fats?
WHO identifies several possible sources of industrial trans fat:
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- Some margarines and vegetable shortenings
- Vanaspati ghee and similar solid cooking fats
- Fried foods, including some restaurant and street foods
- Crackers, biscuits, pies and other baked goods
- Foods made with PHOs to improve texture or shelf life
These examples describe where trans fat has traditionally appeared, not a guarantee about a particular brand, recipe or country. A product sold in one market may have a different formulation in another, and a recipe can change after a policy takes effect.
How to check a packaged food
- Read the ingredient list and look for the words partially hydrogenated oil or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil.
- Check the nutrition panel for trans fat where your country requires it. A listed value and the ingredient list answer different questions, so use both when available.
- For bakery, takeaway or restaurant food without a full label, ask which fat or oil is used and whether it contains PHOs.
- Do not infer that a product is trans-fat-free solely because it is fried, plant-based, packaged or labeled “low fat.”
Because regulations and recipes change, a current label is more useful than an old list of supposedly “safe” or “unsafe” products.
Are trans fats bad for you?
Yes. WHO states that trans fat has no known health benefits and associates high intake with coronary heart disease and mortality. The concern is primarily cardiovascular: diets high in trans fat are linked with more coronary heart disease and more deaths from it.
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WHO’s 2024 fact sheet reports the following relative-risk associations for high trans-fat intake:
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- 34% higher risk of death from any cause
- 28% higher risk of death from coronary heart disease
- 21% higher risk of coronary heart disease
These percentages are relative-risk figures reported by WHO, not an estimate of your personal absolute risk. They do not mean that every person who eats a particular food experiences the same increase. Individual risk also depends on overall diet, smoking, blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, age, genetics and other factors.
WHO estimated in 2024 that more than 278,000 deaths each year worldwide are attributable to industrially produced trans fat. That is a global estimate, not a count of deaths caused by one meal or one product. The public-health rationale for eliminating PHOs is that an avoidable ingredient can be removed without removing a necessary nutrient.
How much trans fat is too much?
WHO recommends that adults consume less than 1% of total daily energy from trans fat. On a 2,000-calorie diet, that is less than 2.2 grams per day. WHO presents this as a population-level recommendation; it is not an individualized limit for someone with heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol or a prescribed treatment plan.
The 2.2-gram figure is an energy conversion: 1% of 2,000 calories is 20 calories, and fat supplies about 9 calories per gram. Someone eating more or fewer calories would have a different gram equivalent, but the WHO percentage remains the relevant expression of the guidance.
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In practical terms, the easiest way to stay below the recommendation is to avoid industrially produced trans fat rather than trying to calculate tiny amounts across many foods. Naturally occurring trans fat in ruminant foods is a separate exposure, and eliminating PHOs does not make all foods from ruminant animals trans-fat-free.
What can I use instead of partially hydrogenated oils?
WHO lists oils rich in polyunsaturated fats and then oils rich in monounsaturated fats as alternatives to PHOs. The best choice depends on availability, cost, cooking temperature and the flavor or texture required.
| Oil group | WHO-listed examples | Typical practical use | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polyunsaturated-fat-rich oils | Sunflower, corn and soybean oils | General cooking, sautéing and food manufacturing where their flavor and heat properties fit | Choose an oil suitable for the cooking method; replacing PHOs does not by itself make an entire recipe nutritious |
| Monounsaturated-fat-rich oils | Canola, olive and peanut oils | Cooking, dressings and other uses selected for flavor and temperature | Availability, price, allergies and culinary purpose affect the choice |
Olive oil can be a practical cooking substitute when its flavor, cost and smoke characteristics suit the dish. No oil guarantees that a packaged or restaurant food contains no trans fat; the finished product still depends on its full recipe and preparation.
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WHO recommends two best-practice policy approaches. A country can set a mandatory limit of 2 grams of industrially produced trans fat per 100 grams of total fat in all foods, or it can ban the production and use of PHOs as an ingredient in all foods.
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| Policy approach | Mechanism | What implementation requires |
|---|---|---|
| 2 g per 100 g total-fat limit | Caps industrial trans fat across foods rather than banning one ingredient | Ingredient or laboratory monitoring, enforcement and checks on imported and domestically made foods |
| PHO ingredient ban | Prohibits the primary industrial source instead of setting a concentration ceiling | Inspection and enforcement to prevent PHOs from being produced, imported or used |
These approaches target industrial trans fat. They do not eliminate naturally occurring trans fat in ruminant meat and dairy.
Progress reported through 2023
WHO’s milestone report published on 21 June 2024 said that 53 countries had best-practice policies in force by the end of 2023. Those policies covered 3.7 billion people, or 46% of the world’s population. WHO estimated that the policies then in place could eventually prevent about 66% of the deaths originally estimated to be caused by trans-fat intake—nearly 183,000 lives each year.
WHO’s 2025 update
In an announcement dated 19 May 2025, WHO said nearly 60 countries had best-practice policies in effect, covering 46% of the global population. The announcement also reported nine countries formally validated by WHO at that point: Austria, Norway, Oman and Singapore were newly recognized in 2025, joining Denmark, Lithuania, Poland, Saudi Arabia and Thailand.
Policy coverage and formal validation are different measures. A country may have a rule in force without yet having completed WHO’s validation process. WHO emphasized that monitoring and enforcement determine whether a written rule produces consistent protection.
United States regulatory history
In 2015, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration determined that PHOs were no longer generally recognized as safe for use in human food. WHO’s enforcement module states that manufacturers could not add PHOs after 18 June 2018, while certain product transitions had later deadlines. This is a concise U.S. regulatory history, not a statement of the law in every country or a substitute for current legal advice.
What you can do about trans fats
- Prioritize PHO avoidance. Check packaged-food ingredients and choose products without partially hydrogenated oils.
- Use unsaturated oils suited to the dish. Sunflower, corn, soybean, canola, olive and peanut oils are WHO-listed alternatives; select among them based on cooking use, price, availability and dietary needs.
- Ask about commercial frying fats. Restaurants, bakeries and street vendors may use different oils, and recipes can change. Ask whether PHOs are used when the information is not posted.
- Keep the 2.2-gram figure in context. It is the WHO equivalent for a 2,000-calorie adult diet, not a personalized prescription.
- Discuss individual concerns with a clinician. If you have cardiovascular disease, abnormal cholesterol, diabetes or another condition, a healthcare professional can translate general dietary guidance into an appropriate eating plan.
Eliminating industrially produced trans fat is a food-supply and food-choice strategy, not a promise that one ingredient change prevents every heart problem. Overall dietary pattern and established cardiovascular risk factors still matter.
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