The global fight against trans-fat

Non-communicable diseases in general and cardiovascular diseases in particular are a leading cause of death globally. Trans-fat consumption is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. The World Health Organization's 'REPLACE' action package of 2018 aims to eliminate it completely in the global food supply by 2023. Legislative and other regulatory actions (i.e., banning trans-fat) are considered as effective means to achieve such a goal. Both wealthier and poorer countries are taking or considering action, as shown by the United States food regulations and Cambodian draft food legislation discussed in this paper. This paper reviews these actions and examines public and private stakeholders' incentives to increase health-protecting or health-promoting standards and regulations at home and abroad, setting the ground for further research on the topic. It focuses on the potential of trade incentives as a potential driver of a 'race to the top'. While it has been documented that powerful countries use international trade instruments to weaken other countries' national regulations, at times these powerful countries may also be interested in more stringent regulations abroad to protect their exports from competition from third countries with less stringent regulations. This article explores practical and principled considerations on how such a dynamic may spread trans-fat restrictions globally. It argues that trade dynamics and public health considerations within powerful countries may help to promote anti-trans-fat regulation globally but will not be sufficient and is ethically questionable. True international regulatory cooperation is needed and could be facilitated by the World Health Organization. Nevertheless, the paper highlights that international trade and investment law offers opportunities for anti-trans-fat policy diffusion globally

Business · Economic growth · Economics · Global health · Health care · Incentive · International Action · International health · International trade · Legislation · Legislature · Political science · Public economics · Public health · Public health law · Energy, Environment, and Transportation Policies · Global Public Health Policies and Epidemiology · Law · Medicine · Health Policy

• Income, urbanisation and consumption of processed foods

  Open Access•Khondoker Abdul Mottaleb, Ashok K Mishra•Journal of International…•2023

  Incluir item

• Sodium content of Packaged foods in Uruguay by country of origin

  Open Access•Virginia Natero, Florencia Alcaire et al.•Globalization and Health•2026

  Incluir item

• Regulatory heterogeneity, trade mediation and nutrient intake

  Open Access•Dixit Poudel, Munisamy Gopinath•Food Policy•2026

  Incluir item

• Nutrition labelling is a trade policy issue

  Open Access•Anne Marie Thow, Alexandra Jones et al.•Health Promotion International•2017

  Incluir item

• Smoke screen? The globalization of production, transnational lobbying and the international political economy of plain tobacco packaging

  Louise Curran, Jappe Eckhardt•Review of International Political…•2017

  Incluir item

• The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement and health

  Open Access•Ronald Labonté, Ashley Schram et al.•Globalization and Health•2016

  Incluir item

• Trade, investment and the global economy

  Open Access•Ronald Labonté, Arne Ruckert et al.•Global Social Policy•2017

  Incluir item

• The Global Diffusion of Regulatory Instruments

  Open Access•Per-Olof Busch, Helge Jörgens et al.•The Annals of the American…•2005

  Incluir item

• Rhetoric and the law, or the law of rhetoric

  Open Access•Raphael Lencucha, Jeffrey Drope et al.•Social Science & Medicine•2016

  Incluir item

• The Global Diffusion of Public Policies

  Frank Dobbins, Frank Dobbin et al.•Annual Review of Sociology•2007

  Incluir item