In December last year, the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control recalled and destroyed Khajurico brand puff, a popular snack, after laboratory tests found industrial trans fat levels exceeding the permissible limit.

Around 5,200 packets were pulled from the market and crushed and buried within the factory premises in Godavari, Lalitpur. Officials say the action sent a strong message to manufacturers and prompted greater caution across the processed food industry.

Nepal’s food quality watchdog has enforced a maximum limit on industrial trans fat in food products since February last year.

In the course of inspecting food items in the market in the first six months of the current fiscal year, the department collected 128 food samples for an industrial trans fat test. Among them, 16 samples were found to exceed the 2 percent limit.

However, officials acknowledge that the current monitoring is only a beginning and has so far focused largely on industrially produced goods.

Trans fat levels are not routinely checked in small eateries and street food stalls, where items such as samosas and other deep-fried snacks are often prepared using repeatedly reheated edible oil, which can significantly increase trans fat content.

Industrial trans fat, or industrially produced trans-fatty acids, are artificial fats created through hydrogenation, a process that adds hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to make them solid at room temperature. These fats are widely used in baked and fried foods to extend shelf life and improve texture.

In Nepal, the common practice of reusing cooking oil, especially for deep frying, further raises health concerns. Repeated heating of oil at high temperatures alters its chemical structure, converting healthier unsaturated fats into harmful trans fats and increasing saturated fat levels. It can also produce other toxic compounds.

Doctors warn that trans fats are the worst type of dietary fat, as they raise levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), commonly known as “bad” cholesterol. Elevated LDL cholesterol increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, including heart attacks, which can be fatal.

Speaking at a press meet on Thursday, the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control said it had introduced the maximum limit of industrial trans fat in line with standards set by the World Health Organization, citing growing global evidence of health risks linked to trans fat consumption.

Matina Joshi Vaidya, director general of the department, said regular market inspections are being conducted with a special focus on bakery products and other industrial food items.

“We have been conducting regular market inspections focusing on industrial trans fat, especially in bakery products and other industrial production,” she said. “We are also checking the maximum limit of trans fat in imported foods through laboratories at border points.”

According to the World Health Organization, more than 278,000 people die globally each year due to the intake of industrially produced trans fat. The agency says trans fat clogs arteries and significantly increases the risk of heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases, which remain the leading cause of mortality worldwide.

The WHO has stated that trans fat has no known health benefits and that both industrially produced and naturally occurring trans fat are equally harmful. Industrially produced trans fat is commonly found in margarine, vegetable shortening, vanaspati ghee, fried foods and baked goods such as crackers, biscuits and pies. Street foods and restaurant items are also frequent sources.

The WHO recommends that adults limit trans fat intake to less than 1 percent of total daily energy consumption, which amounts to less than 2.2 grams per day for a 2,000-calorie diet. It also notes that industrially produced trans fat can be eliminated and replaced with healthier alternatives without affecting the cost, taste or availability of food.

In February last year, Nepal formally set the maximum limit of industrial trans fat at no more than 2 percent by publishing the standard in the Nepal Gazette, though lab testing started in November.

The regulation also requires manufacturers to disclose trans fat content on product labels. If a product claims to be trans fat-free, its content must not exceed 0.2 grams per 100 grams.

Meanwhile, the department said that in the first six months of the current fiscal year, it collected 1,452 samples during inspections of food industries and markets across the country.

Of these, 999 samples underwent laboratory analysis, covering grains and lentils, processed drinking water, fruits and green leafy vegetables, edible oil and ghee, spices, milk and dairy products, tea and coffee, sweet dishes, confectionery, meat and meat products, and salt.

Among the tested samples, 2.6 percent were found to be substandard. The department has initiated investigations and legal action in such cases.

According to officials, 62 cases have been filed at various district administration offices and district courts. Most cases relate to edible oil and ghee, milk and dairy products, fruits and vegetables, grains and lentils, spices, salt, tea and coffee, processed drinking water and sweet items.

Violations included low quality standards, labelling irregularities, food adulteration and operating against existing laws.

The department also conducted Rapid Bioassay of Pesticide Residue tests on 17,177 samples of imported fruits and vegetables from various border points. Seventeen samples were found unfit for consumption.

During the review period, authorities seized and destroyed food items worth Rs2.9 million after discovering expired products, operations without government approval, incomplete labelling and other legal violations during inspections.