Trans Fats in Indian Bakery Biscuits Linked to Coronary Heart Disease

A recent study found that Indian cream biscuits, cookies, and puff pastries still contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, despite FSSAI capping industrially produced trans fats at 2% since 2022. This is alarming, as India already has a high prevalence of coronary heart disease, with over 30 million cases reported annually. The continued presence of trans fats in these products poses a significant risk to public health. Research linking trans fat intake to India's coronary heart disease burden specifically estimates that industrially produced trans fats are responsible for approximately 71,000 coronary heart disease deaths in India each year — around 5% of India's total annual CHD deaths — making this one of the most concrete, India-specific health costs of any food additive covered on this site.

Partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, also known as Vanaspati, is a primary source of trans fats in Indian bakery products. It is not assigned an individual E-number the way many food additives are — it's classified as an ingredient/processing category rather than a single approved additive, so it appears on labels as "partially hydrogenated vegetable oil" or "vanaspati" rather than a numbered code. Although the FSSAI has set a limit of 2% for industrially produced trans fats, many products still exceed this limit. The WHO has recommended a limit of 1% of total energy intake from trans fats, and some countries like the EU have banned them altogether.

FSSAI didn't move to the 2% cap in one step. The regulation phased in gradually: the limit was set at 3% of total fat by January 2021, then reduced further to 2% by January 2022 — a deliberate two-stage tightening aligned with the WHO's global call ("REPLACE") to eliminate industrially produced trans fats from the food supply entirely by 2023. This phased approach gave manufacturers a transition window rather than an abrupt cutoff, which is part of why some products may still show trace or non-compliant trans fat levels even after the rule technically took full effect.

Partially hydrogenated vegetable oil/vanaspati has historically been used across a wide range of Indian bakery and snack categories because it's cheaper than butter or ghee and gives products a longer shelf life and firmer texture: cream-filled biscuits, glazed and iced cookies, puff pastries and khari, some packaged cakes and rusks, and certain deep-fried snacks that use vanaspati as the frying medium rather than a liquid oil. Checking specifically for "partially hydrogenated" or "vanaspati" on the ingredient list — rather than assuming a "0g trans fat" front-of-pack claim settles the question — is the more reliable check, since India's labelling convention allows "0g trans fat" claims on products with under 0.2g per serving, which isn't the same as a literal zero.

Trans fats increase the levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, also known as 'bad' cholesterol, while decreasing the levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, or 'good' cholesterol. This can lead to the narrowing of arteries, increasing the risk of coronary heart disease. A study by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that even a 2g/day increment in trans fat intake can increase the risk of coronary heart disease by 23%.

For home cooking, groundnut oil, mustard oil, and rice bran oil are widely available, liquid-at-room-temperature alternatives to vanaspati that don't carry the same industrial trans fat profile — each has a different smoke point and flavour, so the right choice depends on the dish (mustard oil for tempering, groundnut oil for deep frying, rice bran oil as a neutral all-purpose option). For packaged bakery products, checking whether a brand has published a trans-fat-free reformulation commitment, and verifying it against the actual ingredient list rather than the front-of-pack claim, remains the most reliable approach.

Individuals with a family history of coronary heart disease, as well as those with existing cardiovascular conditions, are most at risk from consuming trans fats. In India, this is particularly concerning, as over 10% of the population has hypertension, and over 20% have high cholesterol. Children and adolescents who consume trans fat-rich foods regularly are also at risk of developing cardiovascular disease later in life.

AaharIQ's AI-powered food ingredient scanner app can help you identify and avoid products containing trans fats. Simply scan the label of your favorite Indian cream biscuits, cookies, or puff pastries, and AaharIQ will detect the presence of partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Based on your health profile, AaharIQ will provide a personalized safety verdict, helping you make informed choices about your diet. Download AaharIQ for free at aahariq.com and start protecting your heart today.