President Klaus Iohannis has promulgated on Wednesday a law with a major impact on the food industry, a law that compels producers to drastically limit the transfats in foodstuffs, to minimum 2 grams per 100 grams of fat of the product’s content.
Transfats are the most harmful fats and are found in margarine, cold meats (including fast-food) or some baked products such as biscuits or cakes, but also in chips, waffles and popcorn.
The transfats are obtained from plant oils through a chemical procedure called hydrogenation. They help the foodstuff last longer. However, they are extremely harmful for the body, as they increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases, type two diabetes and cancer.
There are products with over 40% of transfats on the European market, especially in the south east, Romania included.
Romanian MPs have passed the law one year after the European Commission had passed the regulation targeting the transfat foodstuff. Producers who don’t comply with this law risk fines ranging from RON 10,000 to RON 30,000, while their products will be withdrawn from the market.
This type of fats would prompt those diseases that lead to 50,000 annual deaths across Europe.