WHO urges governments to adopt front-of-package labels to guide consumers toward healthier food choices, but the food industry remains resistant to interpretive labeling.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has emphasized the need for front-of-package labels (FOPL) on food packaging to help consumers make more informed health-related decisions. Despite growing evidence showing the effectiveness of such labels in influencing purchasing behavior, only 43 WHO member states have adopted FOPL, either as a mandatory or voluntary measure. This initiative comes amid a global health crisis driven by rising consumption of processed foods high in salt, sugar, and fat, contributing to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
According to WHO data, over one billion people worldwide live with obesity, with an estimated eight million premature deaths each year linked to diet-related health issues. Governments have struggled to address this epidemic, but FOPL represents a key policy tool to support healthier choices.
WHO’s draft guidelines, initiated in 2019 and set for finalization in 2025, encourage the use of ‘interpretive’ labels. These labels provide nutritional information, along with guidance on what those values mean in terms of health. An example is the NutriScore system used in several European countries, which ranks food products from A (healthy) to E (unhealthy) based on nutrient content.
In contrast, Chile and other Latin American countries use more direct warning labels, such as black octagonal signs that alert consumers when a product is high in sugar, salt, or fat. These warnings resemble stop signs, aiming to discourage the consumption of unhealthy foods.
However, the food industry has largely resisted the implementation of such labels. Instead, companies favor ‘non-interpretive’ labels that list nutrient quantities without offering guidance on how to interpret them, as seen in the United States. Lindsey Smith Taillie, an expert in food labeling and co-director of the Global Food Research Program, notes that while WHO’s recommendations are a step forward, they are relatively weak compared to more stringent warning systems.
Taillie’s research, published in 2023, shows that Chile’s comprehensive labeling system, combined with other measures like restricting marketing to children, led to significant reductions in sugar, sodium, and calorie consumption. This demonstrates the potential of strong labeling policies to drive positive health outcomes.
While there is no global consensus on the best labeling system, the WHO is advocating for governments to adopt a more standardized approach. However, the International Food and Beverage Alliance (IFBA), which includes major companies like Coca-Cola and Mondelez International, argues that while FOPL is important, caution is needed in applying health warnings to foods that are considered safe for consumption.
IFBA Secretary-General Rocco Renaldi acknowledges that global corporations follow minimum standards, such as listing nutrients on the back of packages, but he notes that local producers in countries like Nigeria and Pakistan dominate their markets, making widespread adoption of global standards more complex.
Renaldi stresses that while the food industry generally supports nutrient-based labeling systems, it opposes labeling approaches that could be seen as ‘demonizing’ certain products. The challenge moving forward will be finding a balance between providing consumers with vital health information while maintaining fairness in labeling practices.
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