Even today, in this age of science and technology, our societies are not free from these catastrophes. The contemporary model of development may be qualified by the term ‘toxic’ as we first pollute and then think of cleaning up. We first industrialise, then chemicalise our food, eat unhealthy junk and then think of going to the gym to exercise, or eat organic.

On 25 September 2025, heads of States and Governments will meet at the UN General Assembly to set a new vision for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). The draft resolution, released in May this year, is currently under review by member-states. Buried within the 10-page document is a call for ‘eliminating Trans-Fatty Acids (TFAs)’ in processed food and beverages ~ a provision that raises concerns among agriculture and livestock experts, scientists, animal health officials and, above all, food processors in several countries. Fat forms an important component of a healthy diet and serves several functions in the body.

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It is a concentrated source of energy, yielding more than twice the energy supplied by carbohydrates per unit weight. Presence of fat in the diet is important for the absorption of vitamins A, D, E and K and especially carotenoids (pro-vitamin A). Fats reduce the bulk of diets, improve the palatability and give a satiety value, i.e. a feeling of fullness in the stomach; and energy during starvation and illness. Apart from these functions, some fats, particularly those derived from vegetable sources, provide what are called ‘essential fatty acids’ (EEAs) which are important for the structures and functions of cells. Indeed, there is some confusion in using the terms ‘fats’.

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The housewife, when she goes to buy butter, margarine or lard, has a clear idea of what she means by fat. Biochemists, to be more precise, have coined a term ‘Lipid’ that covers a broad group of water insoluble organic compounds including the housewife’s fat. Chemists use the term ‘fat’ in a restricted sense to mean ‘neutral fats’ which are mixtures of fatty acids and glycerol. The term ‘oil’ is applied indiscriminately both to liquid, digestible triglycerides (such as rapeseed oil, coconut oil, olive oil etc.) and to indigestible mineral hydrocarbons (such as liquid paraffins).

Digestible fats and oils are both lipids, but they differ in their physical state at room temperature. Fats are typically........

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