[Updated] Malaysia Promulgates Food (Amendment) Regulations 2025, Introducing New Restrictions on Trans Fatty Acids

Updated on March 4, 2025:

On February 28, 2025, Malaysia issued the "Food (Amendment) Regulations 2025", which will take effect on September 1, 2025. 

According to the new regulation, the drug "colistin" and its details have been removed from Table 1 of the Fifteenth Schedule, "Maximum Permitted Proportion of Drug Residues in Food," and this substance has now been added to Table 2 of the Fifteenth Schedule, "Prohibited Drugs." Previously, this substance was allowed to be used in: a) milk from cattle; b) muscle, liver, and fat from cattle, chicken, pigs, rabbits, and sheep; c) kidneys from cattle, chicken, pigs, rabbits, and sheep; and d) eggs (chicken).

Additionally, this amendment introduced a new provision, “Regulation 38B,” to the Food Regulations 1985. Under this amendment, unless otherwise specified, no individual shall import, prepare, advertise for sale, or sell any food intended for final consumers or for retail supply that contains more than 2g of trans fatty acids per 100g of fat, excluding naturally occurring trans fatty acids (TFA) found in animal fat. 

The previous consultation draft regarding TFA and the details of global supervision concerning TFA can be found in the 2023 report below.

The Previous Report Published on November 22, 2023:

As per the WTO notification G/SPS/N/MYS/57 issued on November 17, 2023, Malaysia is to add a new provision “Regulation 38B” to Food Regulations 1985 [P.U.(A)437/1985], the current effective version of Food Regulations 1985. The new provision sets the maximum content of trans fatty acids (TFA) allowed to be contained in food for sale in Malaysia as not more than 2g/100g of fat, other than TFA of animal origin.

In light of the WTO notification, the proposed maximum content of TFA is established based on WHO’s recommendation and regulations in other places, i.e., European Union and India.

Basic information about trans fat

• Where does trans fat come from?

Trans fat, also called trans fatty acid (TFA), is an unsaturated fat that comes from either natural or industrial sources. It can be produced during the industrial partial hydrogenation of vegetable oil, but is also naturally present in the meat, fat and dairy products of ruminants (cows and sheep).

As per WHO, partially hydrogenated oil (PHO), the main source of industrially-produced trans fat, is an ingredients in many kinds of foods including margarine, vegetable shortening, and Vanaspati ghee; fried foods and doughnuts; baked goods such as crackers, biscuits, and pies; and pre-mixed products such as pancake and hot chocolate mix.

• Possible hazards

According to WHO, high TFA intake increases the risk of death from any cause by 34%, coronary heart disease deaths by 28%, and coronary heart disease by 21%. Each year around 540,000 deaths worldwide can be attributed to the intake of industrially-produced TFA. Therefore, WHO suggests limiting the consumption of trans fat from both industrial production and ruminants to less than 1% of total energy intake, which translates to less than 2.2 g/day for a 2,000-calorie diet.

• How to reduce trans fat from food intake?

Compared from the trans fat naturally present in food, industrially-produced trans fat can be effectively reduced in a low-cost way: to fully replace PHO with healthier oils/fats.

There are two best-practice policies introduced by WHO to limit industrially-produced trans fat: 1) The mandatory national limit of 2 grams of industrially produced trans fat per 100 grams of total fat in all foods (the way Malaysia chooses now); and 2) The mandatory national ban on the production or use of PHO as an ingredient in all foods.

Supervision in other countries/areas

• The US

In 2015, the US determined that PHO was no longer “Generally Recognized as Safe”, and first prohibited the majority use of PHO starting from June 18, 2018. Later, to allow for an orderly transition in the marketplace, the US FDA extended the final compliance date to January 1, 2021. In 2023, the FDA issued a direct final rule to remove outdated references to PHO in various regulations.

• The EU

In April 2019, the European Commission set a regulation that the maximum amount of trans fat in processed food shall be less than 2%. For food enterprises that had not complied with this provision, a transitional period was given to April 1, 2021.

• Thailand

On January 9, 2019, the Ministry of Public Health in Thailand promulgated a ban on the production, importation and sales of food products containing PHO, making Thailand the first ASEAN member that has banned the use of PHOs in foods.

• Philippines

In 2021, Philippines issued an administrative order, raising a policy framework to eliminate industrially-produced TFA by 2023. Later in the same year, the Philippines FDA released Circular No. 2021-028, providing guidelines for prepackaged processed food products containing TFA. In 2022, FDA made some amendment to the Circular through Circular No. 2021-028-A. It prohibits the manufacture, trading, importation, distribution and sales of the following products in Philippines, when:

1. PHO is to be consumed alone or used in the preparation of processed food products;

2. Oils and fats are blended with PHO;

3. Prepackaged processed food with PHO and industrially produced TFA content is over 2g per 100g or ml.

After 18 June 2023, all product formulations and labels of prepackaged processed food containing TFA shall be fully compliant with these provisions.

• India

In 2020, India limited the industrial TFA to be not more than 2% by January, 2022. In 2021, another gazette was issued, requiring that on and from 1 January, 2022, TFA in all food products in which edible oils and fats are used as an ingredient shall not exceed 2% by mass of the total oils/fats in the product, as per Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Second Amendment Regulations. Read more here.

• Singapore

Singapore banned PHO starting from June 2021, stipulating that it is prohibited to import or use any edible fat or oil that contain any PHO for use as an ingredient of any other edible fat or oil or any prepacked food.

• Hong Kong, China

On July 14, 2021, Hong Kong Legislative Council officially approved PHO as a harmful substance in food, forbidding the import of oil or fat containing PHO or a mixture of both for human consumption. No person shall sell or consign or deliver for sale any food containing PHO for human consumption. The provisions will be effective on December 1, 2023.

• Chinese Mainland

To control the trans fatty acid intake level, China adopts three types of management measures: Implementing mandatory TFA declaration on product label; offering diet suggestions, and setting the TFA limit in infant formula. Read more at Regulation and Supervision Trend of Trans Fat in China.