Chapati
Some of the things that threaten our hearts do not look dangerous. Sometimes, they are hidden in ordinary foods we buy and eat every day.
This World Heart Day is a reminder that we can prevent some of the risks that threaten our hearts, including one that has been hiding in plain sight in our food supply for far too long. The 2026 World Heart Day campaign focuses on the message “Don’t Miss a Beat” and highlights the importance of recognising signs and symptoms of cardiovascular disease.
In 2015, Kenya amended its food regulations through Legal Notice No. 115 of 2015 to introduce provisions addressing trans fatty acids and hydrogenated fats. The regulations provided for specifications where Codex standards existed and included provisions on labelling foods free from trans fatty acids. This was an important step, coming three years before the World Health Organization launched its REPLACE action package, calling on countries to eliminate industrially produced trans fats from their food supplies.
Kenya therefore had already begun addressing trans fats before the WHO’s REPLACE framework was launched. The policy foundation was established early. The opportunity now is to build on that foundation by strengthening the regulatory framework. The 2015 regulations did not establish the comprehensive national limit for industrially produced trans fats now recommended as WHO best practice. WHO currently recommends either a mandatory limit of no more than 2 grams of industrially produced trans fat per 100 grams of total fat in all foods, or a national ban on the production or use of partially hydrogenated oils. The WHO recommendation is set out here. The opportunity for Kenya is therefore to close the remaining policy gap.
The 2026 World Heart Day message, “Heart disease can hide in plain sight: Don’t miss a beat,” offers a powerful lens through which to look at this unfinished business. World Heart Federation campaign information describes the 2026 campaign as focusing on cardiovascular disease symptoms that can go unnoticed until it is too late.
Industrially produced trans fats can hide in plain sight — in some baked, fried and processed foods. According to the World Health Organization, trans fats have no known health benefits and high intake increases the risk of coronary heart disease and mortality. WHO also notes that industrially produced trans fats are found in foods such as baked goods, margarine and fried foods. Industrial trans fats raise LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and lower HDL (“good”) cholesterol. This is a risk that can be reduced through policy.
Kenya’s cardiovascular disease burden makes this urgent. According to Kenya’s National Guidelines for Cardiovascular Disease Management, approximately 25% of hospital admissions are attributed to cardiovascular diseases and 13% of autopsies identified CVDs as the cause of death. Kenya National Guidelines for Cardiovascular Disease Management The Ministry of Health has also reported that non-communicable diseases account for 39% of deaths annually in Kenya. Behind these statistics are families losing loved ones, facing medical bills and coping with lost income.
And industrial trans fats are not something consumers necessarily choose knowingly. We choose bread, biscuits, pastries, fried foods and processed snacks. What we may not know is what happened to the oils and fats used to make them. WHO identifies partially hydrogenated oils as a major source of industrially produced trans fats, while the campaign key facts note that these fats can be found in a range of baked and fried foods. WHO trans-fat guidance
This is precisely where effective regulation can make a difference. The international policy direction is well established. The World Health Organization recommends that countries either limit industrially produced trans fats to no more than 2 grams per 100 grams of total fat in all foods, or prohibit the production and use of partially hydrogenated oils, the main industrial source of trans fats. These are established policy options that have been adopted in countries around the world. In Africa, South Africa has implemented a mandatory limit, while Nigeria passed national regulations limiting trans fat in foods, fats and oils in April 2023. Kenya can draw on the experience of countries that have already taken this step and build on lessons from implementation.
Kenya’s early action deserves recognition. Eleven years is, however, a long time in public health. It is time to build on the foundation laid in 2015 and bring our regulatory framework in line with current WHO best-practice recommendations.
Research by The George Institute for Global Health and the International Institute for Legislative Affairs (IILA) found that limiting industrially produced trans fats to the WHO-recommended level in Kenya could prevent approximately 17,000 cases of heart disease and 2,000 deaths over the first ten years, while generating an estimated net saving of about US$40 million (approximately KES 4.1 billion) for Kenya’s healthcare system. The findings were also published in BMJ Global Health.
Kenya should urgently adopt and implement a mandatory limit for industrially produced trans fats across the food supply, covering both locally manufactured and imported foods. This should be backed by monitoring, laboratory testing and effective enforcement so that the policy does not remain on paper. WHO’s REPLACE framework specifically includes legislation, monitoring and enforcement as core elements of effective trans-fat elimination.
Heart disease can hide in plain sight, as can ingredients that quietly increase its risk. The good news is that industrially produced trans fats are an avoidable risk factor. Kenya has already shown that it can act: in 2015, it introduced provisions addressing trans fatty acids and hydrogenated fats. What remains is to take the next decisive step.
This World Heart Day, Kenya should build on what it started in 2015 by eliminating an unnecessary risk from the food supply and making our food environment safer for every Kenyan. Kenya cannot afford to miss this beat.