Downs Shauna M, Marie Thow Anne, Ghosh-Jerath Suparna, Leeder Stephen R
Menzies Centre for Health Policy, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
Menzies Centre for Health Policy, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Health Promot Int. 2015 Sep;30(3):595-605. doi: 10.1093/heapro/dat094. Epub 2014 Jan 7.
India is undergoing a shift in consumption from traditional foods to processed foods high in sugar, salt and fat. Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (PHVOs) high in trans-fat are often used in processed foods in India given their low cost and extended shelf life. The World Health Organization has called for the elimination of PHVOs from the global food supply and recommends their replacement with polyunsaturated fat to maximize health benefits. This study examined barriers to replacing industrially produced trans-fat in the Indian food supply and systematically identified potential policy solutions to assist the government in encouraging its removal and replacement with healthier polyunsaturated fat. A combination of food supply chain analysis and semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders was conducted. The main barriers faced by the food-processing sector in terms of reducing use of trans-fat and replacing it with healthier oils in India were the low availability and high cost of oils high in polyunsaturated fats leading to a reliance on palm oil (high in saturated fat) and the low use of those healthier oils in product reformulation. Improved integration between farmers and processors, investment in technology and pricing strategies to incentivize use of healthier oils for product reformulation were identified as policy options. Food processors have trouble accessing sufficient affordable healthy oils for product reformulation, but existing incentives aimed at supporting food processing could be tweaked to ensure a greater supply of healthy oils with the potential to improve population health.
印度正经历着消费模式从传统食品向高糖、高盐和高脂肪加工食品的转变。鉴于反式脂肪含量高的部分氢化植物油（PHVO）成本低且保质期长，印度的加工食品中经常使用这类植物油。世界卫生组织呼吁从全球食品供应中消除部分氢化植物油，并建议用多不饱和脂肪取而代之，以实现最大程度的健康效益。本研究调查了印度食品供应中用更健康的多不饱和脂肪取代工业生产的反式脂肪的障碍，并系统地确定了潜在的政策解决方案，以协助政府推动消除反式脂肪并用更健康的多不饱和脂肪取而代之。研究采用了食品供应链分析与对关键利益相关者进行半结构化访谈相结合的方法。在印度，食品加工行业在减少反式脂肪使用并以更健康的油类取而代之方面面临的主要障碍是，多不饱和脂肪含量高的油类供应不足且成本高昂，导致依赖棕榈油（饱和脂肪含量高），以及在产品重新配方中较少使用那些更健康的油类。改善农民与加工商之间的整合、对技术进行投资以及制定定价策略以激励在产品重新配方中使用更健康的油类，被确定为政策选项。食品加工商在获取足够数量的价格合理的健康油类用于产品重新配方方面存在困难，但现有的旨在支持食品加工的激励措施可以进行调整，以确保有更多健康油类供应，从而有可能改善民众健康。
