As consumers, it's our responsibility to stay informed and make conscious food choices. This #WorldFoodSafetyDay, let's pledge to prioritize safety over convenience and demand transparency from food companies. Because when it comes to food safety, it's better to be safe than sorry!
On this World Health Day, let's remember that our health is our most valuable asset. As we navigate through the aisles of packed foods, let's take a moment to read and understand the food labels. Be informed of the appropriate amounts of sugar, salt and fat that your body needs, and consume only under those levels. Ultra processed foods exceed these limits - keep them at bay.
Consumer Protection is one of CAG's core areas of work and as part of our efforts to educate and inform consumers on various consumer issues and related happenings, including our own activities, we publish "Consumer Update", a bi-monthly e-newsletter.
The last two decades have seen a huge transition in our eating habits with processed foods and aerated drinks becoming routine parts of our diet, and a proliferation of these in the marketplace.
#Diabetes and #Hypertension are major threats to the health of your kidneys, with excessive salt consumption being the primary culprit. It is therefore crucial for consumers to be aware of high levels of fat, salt, and sugar in ultra-processed foods. Clear front-of-pack #WarninLabels can aid in this awareness. On this #WorldKidneyDay, Dr. Arunachalam emphasizes the importance of warning labels on processed foods and patient education on #kidney health. #FoodLabelsSaveLives
Hypertension (high blood pressure) is a medical condition where the pressure exerted by the blood on the inner walls of blood vessels is high. This incidence of blood pressure is rising, driven by obesity, sedentary lifestyles, and modern diets that comprise processed foods high in fats, sugar and salt. Hypertension often has no symptoms and so it is called the ‘silent killer’. It can become serious if left unidentified and untreated. Hypertension is the underlying and leading cause of cardiovascular disease and premature death worldwide (World Health Organisation). Building awareness among the public about the dangers of hypertension therefore remains an essential aspect of managing this rapidly rising condition.
Hypertension accounts for about half of all heart disease and stroke-related deaths worldwide (World Heart Foundation). A worrying trend is the increase in the prevalence of hypertension in low and middle-income countries, almost two-thirds of adults aged between 30-79 live here. Unfortunately, 46% of adults in the world are not aware of their conditions. Large vulnerable populations in India live under significant risk of heart attacks and strokes, when hypertension is a condition that can be detected with minimal diagnostic equipment even at primary health care centres. Even treatment costs of the disease are low compared to most other non-communicable diseases (NCDs) prevalent in India. Despite this, India alone has more than 200 million people who are hypertensive or diagnosed with high blood pressure, with a mere 20 million having it under control.
Globally, WHO has set a target to reduce the prevalence of hypertension by 33% by 2030. It is therefore obligatory that routine screening and treatment be made accessible to the last mile if we intend to contain its rise.
Join us this World Obesity Day, as we raise awareness, challenge misconceptions, and pave the way for a healthier generation. Front-of-pack labelling gives us the power to make informed decisions about what we eat. Join us in our call for warning labels on front of pack of processed foods to help us choose our foods wisely! Dr.E.Thangavelu talks about why processed foods are contributing to the rise in obesity in India.
Transforming the way we look at processed food, one label at a time! With Front of Pack Labelling, we can make informed choices about what we put into our bodies. It's time to label up, so we can take charge of our health and say goodbye to hidden ingredients and misleading packaging. We are asking for front of pack warning labels to warn consumers of high fats, sugar and salt in processed foods - so we can choose well and fuel our bodies with real, honest and nourishing food.
On this National Safe Food Day, we renew our calls for warning labels on processed foods to guide consumers towards healthy food choices. Processed foods are designed for maximising convenience for consumers, and profits for producers. They are not often designed prioritising health and human life. #FoodLabelsSaveLives
