Front-of-Pack Labelling

Rina, a 35-year old working mother of two children live in a densely populated community in Dhaka. She often goes for instant noodles and packaged snacks after a tiring day at work. As many Bangladeshi parents, she appreciates the aspect of convenience, although she does not question the nutritional values of these products very often. Thus, unbeknownst to Rina, the convenience meals, which are actually rife with sodium and saturated fats, are slowly damaging her children's bodies. A survey revealed that about 29 percent children of Bangladesh take MCP at least three times a week while the salt content of instant noodles is found to be higher than the daily recommended amount of 5g as per the reduction of 25-30%. Dietary patterns such as these have led to shocking statistics of childhood hypertension and obesity especially in urban societies. For instance, eating too much salt, particularly during childhood, raises the chance of high blood pressure and damaged kidneys as an adult. As with saturated fats, diets too high in saturated fats can cause early-onset obesity and related health problems like Type 2 diabetes.

Front-of-Pack (FOP) Nutrition Labelling could be a game-changer in addressing this emerging scourge. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently proposed a new rule requiring clear nutritional information on the front of packaged foods. While this initiative is primarily aimed at the United States, it holds immense potential for Bangladesh. With rising malnutrition rates and increasing cases of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), Front-of-Pack (FOP) Nutrition Labelling could be a game-changer in empowering consumers to make healthier food choices and improving public health across the country.

What is Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labelling?

Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labelling refers to a system where essential nutritional information-like calories, sugar, saturated fats, and salt-is prominently displayed on the front of food packages. These labels are designed to be simple and easy to understand, allowing consumers to assess the healthiness of a product quickly.

If Front-of-Pack (FOP) labelling was implemented, parents could instantly identify the high salt or saturated fat content of such products. A simple red warning label on the noodle packaging might discourage frequent consumption and prompt families to choose healthier alternatives. This shift could prevent long-term health risks and create a more informed consumer base.

Bangladesh can take inspiration from countries, like the traffic light system used in the UK categorizes food items based on their nutritional content: Green indicates low sugar, salt, or fat, meaning it's a healthier option. Yellow indicates moderate levels. Red signifies high levels, urging caution. Imagine if packaged snacks in Bangladesh, such as chanachur or chips, had similar labels. A red warning for high salt content could prompt consumers to choose healthier options. In Chile, foods with high sugar, salt, or fat content are marked with warning labels shaped like black octagons, and this system has significantly reduced the consumption of unhealthy snacks, especially among children. Sales of sugary drinks dropped by 23% within the first year of implementation. This simple labelling system has significantly reduced the consumption of unhealthy foods, especially among children. If similar warnings were implemented in Bangladesh, like traditional sweets (mishti) or highly processed foods it could give clear indications of their health risks, enabling consumers to make informed decisions.

FDA Front-of-Pack Labeling Proposal

The FDA's proposal includes a simplified labelling system designed to help consumers quickly identify key nutritional information-calories, added sugars, saturated fats, and sodium-on the front of food packages. Dr. Susan Mayne, Director of the FDA's Centre for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, stated, "Consumers often find existing nutrition labels confusing or time-consuming to interpret. This initiative will help bridge that gap by providing accessible and actionable information right where consumers need it most-on the front of the package." Research shows that such labelling can significantly influence consumer choices and encourage manufacturers to create healthier products. This aligns with successful models implemented in countries like Chile and the United Kingdom, where front-of-pack labelling has already led to healthier eating patterns and product reformulations.

The notice in Bangladesh by the FDA is timely as it is a signal of the growing burden of the nutrition related public health challenge. According to the Global Nutrition Report 2023, Bangladesh faces a double-edged sword: It is characterized by persistent under-nutrition and increasing prevalence of obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The consumption of ultra-processed and packaged foods has in fact increased in urban areas, resulting in a higher problem. Though Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) seeks to strengthen food safety, front of pack nutrition labeling is not mandatory yet. This lack of policy creates a vacuum in tools for consumers to use in making informed dietary decisions, which could aggravate conditions like diabetes, hypertension, or heart disease.

Why Front-of-Pack Labelling Matters for Bangladesh?

Introducing mandatory front-of-pack labelling in Bangladesh could have a transformative impact on public health. For instance:

Empowering Consumers: Easy-to-understand labels would enable consumers to make healthier choices quickly, especially in urban supermarkets where packaged foods dominate.

Incentivising Manufacturers: Clear labelling could push food manufacturers to reformulate their products to avoid negative labels, just as seen in countries like Chile.

Combating NCDs: With non-communicable diseases on the rise, such measures could serve as a preventive strategy, reducing long-term healthcare costs.

Other countries' experience shows that such measures can have a major impact. Through use of textual warnings at the back in black colour with stop signs, Chile was able to lower the incidence of unhealthy foods and motivated producers to change their products. Likewise, it has been seen from another country. By using front-of-pack labelling, Mexico was able to bring down the sales of sugary products. In Mexico, when FOP labelling has been promoted, sales of snacks and sugary drinks declined. Chile's warning labels also lowered consumption of unhealthy foods, especially among children. In case Bangladesh follows the same, consumers would be able to distinguish between a nutritious option and one that is not, while purchasing Bangladeshi snacks or traditional foods.

Bangladesh has the WHO guidelines for nutrition labelling before marketing into the market where the importance of quality message to denizens is also stressed. External sources such as international organizations could offer technical assistance and, of course, finances to put into practice such systems.

Although front-of-pack labelling is useful, it is not without its difficulties if applied to Bangladesh's food industry. They include reluctance by food manufacturers, the lack of sufficient attention and campaigns, and harmonization of compliance issues, given the fragmentation of the market. However, these are issues that can be easily solved through proper coordination and governance, with government-led stakeholder engagement and the relevant public sensitisation.

Consequently, the time has come for Bangladesh to be more assertive about nutrition labelling. This way, the country can implement the solutions learned from other nations' experience and adapt them to effectively solve its specific best health issues and promote people's wellbeing.

The FDA's proposed criteria are stringent for front-of-pack labelling but they have also identified potential for Bangladesh to act in the interest of nutrition and health of its population. As obesity and NCDs surface, the possibility of implementing a similar system could be a breakthrough that enriches consumers, enhances the food quality and significantly diminishes the load of diet-related illnesses in country. The question is not whether Bangladesh should do so, but the speed at which it can do so in the interest of the health of Bangladeshi people.

Jarin Tasnim Rafa is a BSC Honors (3rd year) student studying Food and Nutrition, Govt. College of Applied Human Science.

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