Health advocates are trying to allay public concerns about artificial trans fats in foods and snacks, saying they are less commonly used in normal Thai diets.
Wantanee Kriengsinyos, a lecturer at Mahidol University's Institute of Nutrition, said the institute examined 162 samples of suspected trans fats-contaminated food and found 13% contained levels above the generally accepted standard.
Some 53% were found to contain saturated fats above the accepted standard, she said, adding this suggests people are more at risk of consuming the latter.
Ms Wantanee said trans fats are mainly found in bakeries and baked products but in low quantities.
The Public Health Ministry published an announcement in the Royal Gazette on July 13 banning the production, import and sale of partially hydrogenated oils, as well as any food that contains them, effective 180 days from the publication date.
Artificial trans fats are the byproduct of a process called hydrogenation in which hydrogen is added to vegetable oil to alter its state.
Artificial trans fats have been implicated in serious health problems such as heart disease.
Ms Wantanee said although trans fats are not used that much in foods, the ministry issued the notice to warn people of the associated risks.
She also cautioned people against consuming too much sugar, too many carbohydrates and too many products that are high in saturated fats.
In the wake of the public alert, more food producers are adding labels to show their products contain no trans fats, the lecturer said, adding those products could still pose a health risk due to the high rate of saturated fats they contain.
Food producers must add labels showing all of the ingredients and nutrition, Ms Wantanee said at a news conference organised Wednesday by the Thai Health Promotion Foundation.
Supattra Boonserm, director of the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Food Office, said the FDA has been boosting understanding among cooking oil producers and importers of trans fats-contaminated products to avoid trans fats since 2016.
Some have adjusted their recipes to remove them, she said, citing producers of margarine, pies, cakes, cookies and deep-fried food.
Thai margarine is made from palm oil but no partially hydrogenated oils are used in the manufacturing process, according to Ms Supattra.
"The World Health Organisation said the world must be free of trans fats by 2023," she said.
"A number of countries including the United States are starting to make moves and roll out laws to ban products that contain trans fats," she said.
"Thai operators have been aware of this movement and we therefore have to wait," she added.
Khanat Krutkul, an expert on heart disease at Ramathibodi Hospital, said trans fats can be found naturally in meat and milk but the amount is minimal. He said this is quite different from the trans fats added to food.
Trans fats can also cause atherosclerosis, where plaque builds up inside the arteries. It is a leading cause of death in Thailand, according to Dr Khanat.
