Unhealthy food poses a greater threat to human life than tobacco, according to a study published in The Lancet in 2019. The study found that diets high in sodium and low in whole grains and fruits were responsible for one in five deaths in 2017, compared to one in eight deaths caused by smoking. Furthermore, these bad diets have led to a threefold increase in obesity rates since 1975, resulting in a higher risk of strokes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. A report from World Obesity predicts that by 2035, more than half of the world’s population will be obese.
As these statistics highlight, addressing the health crisis related to food choices is a complex issue with no simple solutions. However, one approach that has been widely adopted by health authorities is the implementation of front-of-package (FOP) labeling. These labels not only inform consumers about the risks associated with certain foods but also incentivize companies to reformulate their products.
Chile is one country that has taken a strict stance on FOP labeling and has been closely studied by policymakers. In 2016, Chile introduced a comprehensive FOP scheme that includes marketing restrictions, a ban on the sale of unhealthy foods in schools, and the mandatory use of large black warning labels on products high in calories, saturated fat, or sugar. Israel has followed suit by implementing similar warning labels.
However, it took Chile a decade to implement these labels in the market. A study conducted by Gabriela Fretes, an associate research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute, found that children’s sugar consumption at school decreased by 4.5% in 2018 and nearly 12% in 2019 after the implementation of the law. There was also a decrease in the intake of saturated fats and sodium. Furthermore, the law prompted companies to reformulate their products, reducing the amount of sugars and sodium in packaged foods and beverages.
Similar effects have been observed in the UK, where supermarkets and manufacturers voluntarily adopted a “traffic light” system for FOP nutritional labeling. In the US, a regulation in 2006 mandating the labeling of foods containing trans fats led to reformulation efforts to remove them.
Another effective labeling system is the Nutri-Score, developed by French researchers and adopted by the French government in 2017. This system grades foods from A to E based on their nutritional value and has been recommended by the European Commission and the World Health Organization.
In the US, FOP initiatives face challenges due to the First Amendment, which protects freedom of speech and limits the government’s ability to compel speech. However, the White House’s national strategy on nutrition, hunger, and health, launched in 2020, may pave the way for change. The FDA is currently researching FOP labeling and proposing potential schemes.
Nevertheless, implementing a truly effective FOP labeling system may face legal challenges. Striking a balance between an intuitive system and potential lawsuits from the industry remains a challenge for legal scholars and advocates.
One major obstacle to food labeling is the influence of multinational food manufacturers, similar to the challenges faced in the tobacco industry. Graham MacGregor, professor of cardiovascular medicine at Queen Mary University of London, compares the industry’s resistance to that of tobacco and its efforts to continue selling cheap and profitable unhealthy foods.
In 2010, the European parliament rejected a proposal for a compulsory traffic-light labeling system, favoring an alternative scheme called guideline daily amounts (GDAs). Transparency campaigners accused the food industry of an extensive lobbying campaign to sway the vote in their favor.
Efforts to legislate for mandatory labeling across the EU have been unsuccessful thus far. However, the European Commission’s Farm to Fork Strategy, published in 2020, committed to proposing harmonized mandatory front-of-pack nutrition labeling by 2022.
Manufacturers continue to express reservations about warning labels but remain neutral towards traffic lights and Nutri-Scores. They argue for a broader approach focused on consumer education and promoting balanced diets and healthy lifestyles.
While no policy is perfect, the urgency of the public health crisis justifies initiatives like those implemented in Chile and France. Informing the public about the contents of their food is crucial in a world where the industry controls the food supply.
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