Organisations embark on campaign to educate public about labelling, marketing of foodstuff

• The Healthy Living Alliance and Treatment Action Campaign have embarked on an awareness programme about the draft regulation on the labelling and marketing of foodstuff.
• The regulation proposes that mandatory front-of-package warning labels are put on all unhealthy food products.
• The public has until 21 July to comment on the regulation. 

The Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA) and Treatment Action Campaign have embarked on an awareness programme about the draft regulation on the labelling and marketing of foodstuff.

In April, the national health department released the draft regulation for the labelling and advertising of foodstuff. 

The department is proposing mandatory front-of-package warning labels for all unhealthy food products and new marketing restrictions for the food carrying these labels.

The civil society organisations said the draft regulation aligned with World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations for a healthy diet, which included limiting saturated fat consumption as well as daily salt and free or added sugar intake.

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According to the WHO, consumption of saturated fats, salt and sugar could lead to people being overweight or obese.

It can cause various diet-related non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and some cancers.

In March this year, the Discovery Vitality ObeCity Index 2023 study found South Africa had one of the highest rates of obesity globally, with more than 20 million adults being overweight.

The index analysed data from Vitality members living in six cities around the country.

The cities were ranked according to the percentage of healthy food items purchased compared with overall food items purchased.

Speaking to News 24, HEALA's spokesperson, Zukiswa Zimela, said they were trying to get the public to support the regulation, adding South Africans have no idea what was in the food they consumed.

She said front-of-package warning labels would help consumers make better choices and live healthier lives.

"South Africans are eating more ultra-processed foods high in sugar, salt and saturated fat, which is contributing to the obesity and non-communicable disease rates and placing a burden on the health system.

"Understanding what is in the food we eat can be challenging. The nutrition labels on the back of food packaging are confusing and difficult to understand."

When asked what was so important about the draft regulation, Zimela said it was a nutrient profiling model to identify unhealthy foods.

She added expanding marketing restrictions and putting pressure on the food and beverage industry to act quickly could be strengthened by the regulation.