SynthesisBulletin of the World Health Organization2013
The effectiveness of policies for reducing dietary trans fat: a systematic review of the evidence.
Synthesis in Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 80 papers, 8 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
80 citing papers in PubMed, 8 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Global, regional, national burden of colorectal cancer from 1990 to 2021, with projections of incidence to 2050: a systematic analysis of the global burden of disease study 2021.Frontiers in oncology · 2025Pooled it
- Prevention of Obesity among Adults: Evidence- and Consensus-Based Guideline.Obesity facts · 2025Guideline
- Identifying barriers and facilitators in the development and implementation of government-led food environment policies: a systematic review.Nutrition reviews · 2022Pooled it
- A Systematic Review of Trans Fat Reduction Initiatives in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.Frontiers in nutrition · 2021Pooled it
- A Meta-Analysis of Food Labeling Effects on Consumer Diet Behaviors and Industry Practices.American journal of preventive medicine · 2019Pooled it
- Systematic review of dietary trans-fat reduction interventions.Bulletin of the World Health Organization · 2017Pooled it
- Trans Fat Intake and Its Dietary Sources in General Populations Worldwide: A Systematic Review.Nutrients · 2017Pooled it
- Impact of regulatory interventions to reduce intake of artificial trans-fatty acids: a systematic review.American journal of public health · 2015Pooled it
- Ultra-Processed Food Policies and Global Nutrition Equity: The Case for a Feasibility-Grounded, Differentiated Governance Supplement to Nova.Nutrition bulletin · 2026Article
- [Ecological analysis of the association between dietary factors and thyroid carcinoma incidence based on GBD 2021 data].Zhejiang da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Zhejiang University. Medical sciences · 2026Article
- Evaluating Trans-Fatty Acids Labelling in Packaged Foods Sold in Brazil Before and After National Policy Changes.Journal of human nutrition and dietetics : the official journal of the British Dietetic Association · 2026Article
- Buprestid Beetles of Togo: Ecological, Sociocultural, and Nutritional Impacts of a High Quality Food Source.Insects · 2026Article
- The burden of dietary risk factors in the Nordic and Baltic countries: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023.The Lancet regional health. Europe · 2026Article
- Impact of diets high in trans-fatty acids on cardiovascular diseases in adults aged 55 and older: insights from the Global Burden of Disease 2021 data.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Article
- Dietary transition proxies and ischemic heart disease burden: a country-year panel analysis with a systematic robustness assessment.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Article
- Targeting ultra-processed foods for prevention of type 2 diabetes: state of the evidence and future directions.Diabetologia · 2025Review
- Socio-demographic influence of food additives acceptance and avoidance among the Lebanese population: A cross-sectional study.PloS one · 2025Article
- Costa Rica's trans-fat ban impact on cardiovascular disease: a macrosimulation study.Revista panamericana de salud publica = Pan American journal of public health · 2025Article
- [Trans fatty acids in nutrition labeling and ingredient listing of prepackaged products in Costa Rica, 2022Ácidos graxosRevista panamericana de salud publica = Pan American journal of public health · 2025Article
- Article
20 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo systematically review evidence for the effectiveness of policies, including self-regulation, aimed at reducing industrially produced trans fatty acids (TFAs) in food.
methodsThe Medline, Embase and Cinahl databases were searched to identify peer-reviewed articles examining the effect of TFA policies. In addition, the first 20 pages of Google searches were examined for articles from the grey literature. A study was included if: (i) it was empirical and conducted in a "real-world" setting (i.e. modelling studies were excluded); (ii) it examined a TFA policy involving, for example, labelling, voluntary limits or bans; and (iii) it examined a policy's effect on TFA levels in food, people's diets, blood or breast milk.
findingsTwenty-six articles met the inclusion criteria: 5 involved voluntary self-regulation; 8, labelling alone; 4, labelling and voluntary limits; 5, local bans and 4, national bans. Overall, the TFA content of food decreased with all types of policy intervention. In general, saturated fat levels increased or decreased, depending on the product type, and total fat content remained stable. National and local bans were most effective at eliminating TFAs from the food supply, whereas mandatory TFA labelling and voluntary TFA limits had a varying degree of success, which largely depended on food category.
conclusionPolicies aimed at restricting the TFA content of food were associated with significant reductions in TFA levels, without increasing total fat content. Such policies are feasible, achievable and likely to have an effect on public health.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.