NEW DELHI: As India is facing a growing epidemic of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular illnesses, which is primarily driven by unhealthy diets. 29 public health organisations have given a call to implement front-of-pack nutrition labelling (FOPL) warning labels (WLs) on food products found high in fats or sugar or salt (HFSS).
The consensus statement, published in the Journal of Preventive Medicine Research and Reviews, proposes that the government replace the proposed Indian Nutrition Rating (or Health Star Rating) system with front-of-pack warning labels, restrict marketing to children, and ensure that trade agreements do not undermine public health policy.
The statement said that it is estimated that in India, nearly 5.8 million people die from NCDs every year out of a total of about nine million deaths, contributing to about 60% of annual deaths.
“There is substantial scientific evidence showing that increased consumption of ultra-processed unhealthy food/drink products is associated with high risks of NCDs and all-cause mortality,” the statement by well-known public health experts said.
According to the Indian Council of Medical Research - National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN) Dietary Guideline for Indians, 56.4% of the total disease burden in India is attributed to unhealthy diets.
The experts stated that FOPL is a simple, inexpensive, practical, and effective tool to inform consumers about the public health implications of the food products they purchase for consumption.
According to Dr Arun Gupta, the lead author of the statement, “We present Indian and global scientific evidence showing that warning labels that tell the truth about sugar, salt, or fat content upfront are the best among all types of labels, to reduce consumption of unhealthy food products.”
Dr Gupta, who is the convenor of Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest (NAPi), a national think tank on nutrition comprising independent medical experts, paediatricians, and nutritionists, said India’s Economic Survey has backed their recommendation.
“After the Supreme Court order to finish the work in three months, FSSAI has reopened the process to gather additional comments to be handed over to the Expert Committee. It would be only fair to treat this statement as additional comments by the expert committee,” Dr Gupta told this paper. The FSSAI has called a meeting of the expert committee on Wednesday.
The SC has given FSSAI three months to come out with its recommendations on the proposed move to introduce mandatory warning labels on the front of packaged food items.
The statement, which included experts from Foundation for People-Centric Health Systems; Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI); Kidney Warriors Foundation; Navdanya; Consumer Voice; Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine; Indian Society of Nephrology; and Indian Society of Pediatric and Adolescent Endocrinology, said FOPNL provides key information to the consumer upfront as a matter of human right as well as a public health intervention.
“The consumption of unhealthy foods and drink products is rapidly rising in India. The WHO India study on the growth of ultra-processed foods in India concluded that there is a 13.3% annual cumulative growth rate,” the statement said.
“Studies do suggest that consumers spend as little as 10 seconds in the selection of food items; therefore, a label that would quickly and effectively lead to the ability of the consumer to identify unhealthy products would be the need of the hour. To create a healthy food environment, global experts have been calling for WLs on these food products,” it added.
The statement cited examples from other countries to buttress their point. “Several countries in Latin America, such as Chile, Mexico, Uruguay, Brazil, Peru and Israel, have accepted the use of WLs as FOPNL, and that has demonstrated a change in consumption and outcomes.”
Highlighting that the recently concluded India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which reduces tariffs on imported foods, such as chocolate, gingerbread, sweet biscuits and soft drinks, means that lower prices for these HFSS food products risk flooding the market.
“This consensus statement reflects a strong and unified call to implement clear WLs on pre-packaged HFSS food products to reduce their consumption. The scientific evidence from India and outside is overwhelming in favour of WL,” it concluded.