Food Policy Coalition Kenya, a group of civil society organizations working together, has initiated a national campaign urging the government to introduce more visible and understandable warning labels on pre-packaged, ultra-processed foods.
They group seeks to public awareness with the reality that there is a lot of sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats in the packaged foods that people regularly eat that are the reasons the number of diabetes hypertension heart disease, and even cancer patients is going up dramatically, according to healthcare professionals.
According to Kenya’s Ministry of Health, non-communicable diseases are responsible for an estimated 39% of deaths in the country, which results in increased costs and strains for both families at home and the medical sector.
Partly due to eating habits that have evolved and greater availability of ultra-processed food, experts have identified these factors as the cause.In addition, many people don’t know what is in the food they eat every day because the food packages often don’t have clear nutritional information or are hard to understand.”Non-Communicable Diseases are causing more and more trouble to Kenyan families and the health system, while the poor way that we eat is one of the main reasons for this problem, ” stated Dr. Catherine Karekezi.
The program highlights a real need for simple front-of-pack labels that easily tell you if a product contains very high levels of a nutrient that is bad for your health. “We want to make consumers aware of the hidden ingredients in the pre-packaged foods they buy, ” said Celine Awuor, International Institute for Legislative Affairs.
People in Kenya have a right to clear and simple information about the food they eat, ” she added. During the next six weeks, the campaign will be conducted through different media such as TV radio billboards, digital platforms, and community level outreach.
One of the issues that detractors focus on is that the marketing of these products in fact leads consumers to believe that these products are healthy whereas, in reality, they are full of sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats.
“Many shoppers are misled by food companies into believing that these products are healthy, ” remarked Timothy Wafula of the Kenya Legal and Ethical Issues Network. “When people start wondering about the contents of their food, they also feel they can ask for better labels.
“Dr. Shukri Mohammed of African Population and Health Research Center points out that research shows the simplified front-of-pack labelling works well in allowing the consumers to spot the healthier options without hesitation.
The group of people working on this issue is inviting the stakeholders including parents, community leaders, health professionals, and media to share their voice in