Three advocacy groups have called on government to fast-track the development and implementation of a mandatory Front-of-Pack Warning Food Labelling (FOPWL) policy to help consumers to make healthier food choices and reduce the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
FOPWL is a system that places simple, easy-to-read warning symbols or messages on the front of packaged foods and drinks to alert consumers when a product contains high levels of nutrients linked to health risks.
The group said such labels would empower consumers to make informed, healthier purchasing decisions, particularly in situations where they had little time to study detailed nutrition information on product packaging.
They further believed that introducing mandatory warning labels would reduce the chances of the consumption of ultra-processed foods, which were often linked to rising cases of obesity, diabetes, hypertension and other non-communicable diseases.
The call was made by SEND Ghana, the Vision for Accelerated Sustainability Development (VAST) Ghana and the Ghana Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (GAND) at an Editors' Forum on Mandatory FOPWL Advocacy in Accra last Friday.
How the labels work
During a presentation on the topic: “Front of pack warning labelling — A proven solution to addressing NCD”, a project staff member at SEND Ghana, Baaba Sam, explained that FOPWL usually used the WHO’s Nutrient Profile Model, which set cut-off levels for sugar, salt and saturated fat in food and drink products.
Once a product exceeded the cut-off, she said, it would carry a front-of-pack warning alerting consumers that the food was high in one or more of those nutrients.
Mrs Sam said labels were intended to help consumers to make quicker, more informed decisions, reduce consumption of ultra-processed foods, support public health efforts to curb diet-related NCDs and push manufacturers to reformulate products to avoid carrying a warning label.
In Chile, where the policy took effect in 2016, she said the labels contributed to a 24 per cent drop in sugary drink purchases, alongside reductions in sugar, sodium and saturated fat consumption.
In Mexico, she said, labels introduced in 2020 reduced purchases of unhealthy products and encouraged reformulation, while in Israel, 70 per cent of consumers reported using red warning labels to guide healthier choices.
In Uruguay and Peru, she said, statistics showed that households reported changing their food purchases after the labels were introduced.
In Africa, Mrs Sam said, Kenya and Uganda were developing their own Nutrient Profile Models and labelling campaigns, while South Africa was working on a similar policy.
Mrs Sam said Ghana’s draft FOPWL policy, developed with the Ministry of Health and other civil society partners, had already been submitted to the ministry.
The next steps, she said, involved a technical review committee, followed by internal and external stakeholder engagement, including publishing the draft policy on the Ministry of Health’s website for public comment before the policy could go through final approval.
Food environment
The President of the GAND, Reverend Prince Baidoo, also said the country’s rapidly changing food environment was contributing to rising cases of obesity and other NCDs.
He said urbanisation, changing lifestyles and the increasing availability of processed foods had transformed the country’s nutrition landscape, with unhealthy diets becoming more common.
Rev. Baidoo explained that while food processing initially sought to improve taste, appearance and convenience, the pace of change had created unintended health consequences.
Health burden
The Executive Director of VAST Ghana, Labram Musah, said NCDs had become one of the leading cause of deaths in the country, with more than 90,000 people dying from such illnesses every year.
He said although many of the diseases were preventable, aggressive marketing by the food industry and the growing consumption of highly processed foods continued to undermine public health.
“The food industry is one of the biggest industries in the world. It has enormous financial power and continues to market products that contribute to poor health outcomes,” he said.
He warned that initiatives such as the Ghana Medical Trust Fund would continue to face increasing financial pressure if preventive interventions were not strengthened.
