Behavior of Consumers in the Republic of Moldova Related to the Consumption of Trans Fat

The objective of the study was to highlight the behavior of consumers in the Republic of Moldova regarding trans fats. Data collection was carried out between May 2020 and August 2020 through a questionnaire on this issue. The main objectives of the study were to identify foods high in trans fats preferred by the adult population and to analyse practices, attitudes, behavior and knowledge about the consumption of trans fats. It was found that the citizens of the Republic of Moldova consume ten times more trans fats than the daily limit recommended by the WHO. This leads to an increase in the number of cases of cardiovascular disease and obesity, which, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, considerably increases the risk of severe complications. It should be noted that the specific traditional range of fats used for cooking in households remains dominated by sunflower oil (n 949/77.15%), and tallow and lard are still used with a dangerous frequency (n 189/15.39%). Same time, the consumption of foods with trans fat content is dominated by: salty and sweet biscuits, cookies; chips, french fries, burgers, frozen dough - puff pastry or for pizza and others. Conclusions: Further effort is needed to provide information to raise awareness among Moldovan consumers about the effect of trans fats on their health and to limit their consumption.