A HEALTHY diet is critical to protecting against all forms of malnutrition and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). A mindful approach in this regard would involve checking out the nutritional label information on various food products before deciding to buy them.
Recently, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has made it mandatory for all products to have a front-of-package nutrition labelling, referred to as a nutrition info box. This underscores the significance of the data related to the quantity of trans-fat, sugars, sodium, ingredients, nutrients, quantity, portion size, calories and allergens. The front-of-package nutrition labelling has already been adopted by more than 40 countries worldwide in an attempt to encourage healthy food choices.
For those unable to understand or follow written instructions, infographic representations can be more helpful, like printing colour codes (traffic lights) or symbols, on the pack to guide potential buyers about the ingredients. Revamping public health policies and adopting global standards shouldbe encouragedinthe country as a cost-effective measure to reduce the burden of malnutrition and NCDs.
