Front-of-pack labels vital in combating NCDs

DAR ES SALAAM: IT is a bright and chilly Saturday in the commercial city of Dar es Salaam. Another weekend, another opportunity for Kelvin Lymo to restock his household with food and other essentials.

As part of his routine, he drives from Mbezi Louis to Mlimani City Shopping mall, accompanied by his wife and two children. While there, the family grabs a trolley and begins navigating the supermarket aisles.

They methodically select their regular items, from foodstuffs and cleaning supplies to snacks for both adults and children. Before long, the trolley is full to the brim.

The children, predictably, make a beeline for the chocolates and sweets, barely waiting before tearing into their favourite treats.

It’s a familiar scene for the Lymo family and for many others. But amid the comfort of routine lies a quiet concern: Lymo, like many Tanzanians, rarely checks the labels on the products he buys. When asked why, he offers a candid response: “Even if I read what’s written, I don’t understand it,” he says.

“And some of the labels are printed in such tiny text that they’re hard to see with normal eyes.” Ms Asteria Mwehoza is a regular visitor to supermarkets.

“Whenever I go there, I purchase mushrooms, because I feel it’s one of the few items I can find safely at the supermarket, and I’m sure of getting them there.

Sausages as well, because there are many options to choose from.” She lists other items: “Also snacks like biscuits, because there’s a wide variety and different flavours compared to what I find in local shops.

As for drinks, I mostly go for yoghurt.” Ms Asteria says she often reads labels, but only to check expiry dates and the producer.

“Yes, I usually read the labels to check the expiry date and also to see which company has made the product, especially if it’s one I like,” she says.

She explains: “Labels influence my decisions depending on the company behind the product, whether it’s well known, how available it is on the market and what other products it makes. Sometimes my choice also depends on what I’ve heard from others, or my own past experience using the product.”

Sabato Kosuri says he often goes to the supermarket to buy gifts for children such as sweets, bubble gum, chocolate, apples and yoghurts, as well as items such as toothpaste, soap and wine.

Mr Kosuri says he often does not remember to read labels and whenever he does, it is only to check the expiry date. Amina Abdi says, “I often go to supermarkets to buy yoghurt, hand soap and liquid bathing soap.”

Like Kosuri, she reads labels to check the expiry date. “This enables me to change my decision when I notice that a product is expired or no longer safe to use,” she states.

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Reading labels could be seen as a small detail, easily overlooked during shopping trips, but it raises a bigger question, how many consumers truly know what they’re buying? Elinami Mungure, Country Representative for the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), says most buyers are either unaware of product labelling or simply do not take the time to read what is written.

“But on the other hand, producers don’t use front of the pack warning labelling. This is made even worse with the absence of policy and laws governing front of the pack labelling,” he adds.

Amid soaring rates of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) globally, product warning labels are becoming a focal point of health advocacy.

In Tanzania, health experts and civil society groups are increasingly calling for mandatory Front-of-Pack Labelling (FoPL) to help consumers make informed choices.

Tanzania Women Lawyers Association (TAWLA) in collaboration with health experts are calling for the government to adopt mandatory, easy-to-read frontof-pack nutrition labels (FoPL) on all processed food products.

Their message is that citizens have a right to know what they are eating and should always make informed decisions.

They are urging policymakers to make front-ofpack labelling a legal requirement for all packaged food and beverages sold in the country.

As diet-related NCDs like diabetes, hypertension and obesity continue to rise, CSOs argue that the lack of clear, visible nutrition information is fuelling a health crisis.

“Most people don’t realise how much sugar or salt they’re consuming because the information is buried on the back in small print,” says nutritionist Hassan Rusobya from the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Science (MUHAS). Rusobya, a public health specialist, says Front-of-Pack (FOP) nutrition labelling is a globally recommended strategy to encourage healthier food choices.

“FoPL aim to provide simplified, interpretive information on a product’s nutritional quality or critical nutrient content, such as saturated fat, sugar and sodium, to help consumers assess healthfulness and make more nutritious choices.”

He says it is time for the government to adopt mandatory front-of-pack labelling policy and regulations across the food industry as well as implement clear, interpretive labels.

Rusobya cites Chile, South Korea and Mexico as examples, noting that their adoption of FoPL systems has led to greater consumer awareness and even reformulation of unhealthy products.

“We need front-of-pack labels that are clear, honest and visible, especially for products targeting children,” adds Isabela Nchimbi, a Programme Officer at TAWLA. “We’re not against the food industry,” echoes Mary Richard, TAWLA Programmes Manager, explaining, “We’re asking them to be transparent. People deserve to know what’s in their food, before they buy it.”

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‘We must protect children and vulnerable communities from deceptive marketing and hold food manufacturers accountable for the health impact of their products.”

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends front-of-pack or shelf-based nutrition labelling, mandatory or voluntary, as a strategy to prevent non-communicable diseases. Adopted in several countries, these systems typically highlight either products high in harmful nutrients or those considered healthy.

According to Dr George Msengi, many processed foods that appear healthy, like flavoured yogurts, fruit drinks, or breakfast cereals, contain alarmingly high levels of sugar, sodium, or saturated fats.

“When nutrition information is clear and easy to understand, it can guide consumers toward healthier choices and motivate food and beverage companies to improve the nutritional quality of their products,” he says.

“Front-of-Pack Labelling (FoPL) provides clear, easy-to-understand nutrition information, such as sugar, salt, fat content, on the front of packaged food products,” adds Dr Msengi.

As Tanzania faces a growing burden of diet-related non-communicable diseases, front-of-pack labelling emerges as a simple yet powerful tool to guide consumer choices and hold the food industry accountable.

Health experts argue that making FoPL mandatory would not only empower consumers with accessible nutritional information but also promote public health and potentially drive reformulation of unhealthy products.

They stress that it is high time for policymakers to take firm, decisive action to protect both current and future generations from the growing threat of diet-related noncommunicable diseases.