(CNN) – Trans fats could disappear from a lot of your favorite foods if the World Health Organization gets its way.
The organization launched a new initiative in hopes of helping countries kick the trans fat habit.
The artificial fatty acids are made when vegetable oil hardens in a process called hydrogenation and are used in everything from fried foods to snack foods and baked goods.
Manufacturers like to use them because they don’t spoil as quickly as other fats, extending the shelf -life for those foods. But health advocates say they can do lasting harm to your health.
Trans fats are known to raise levels of “bad” cholesterol and increase your risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.
The WHO is hoping the initiative they’re calling “replace” will teach countries how to swap out those artificial trans fats.
While some countries and U.S. states have already started moving away from man-made trans fats, the goal is to have them removed from all foods by 2023
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