Bureau Report
MURREE:: Pakistan National Heart Association (PANAH), along with public health experts and media professionals, has urged the government to urgently introduce mandatory Front-of-Pack Warning Labels (FOPWLs) on ultra-processed food and beverage products to help consumers make healthier choices and reduce unhealthy food consumption.
The participants called for black octagonal warning labels in Urdu on products exceeding WHO-recommended limits for sugar, sodium and saturated fats, as well as those containing non-sugar sweeteners. They said simple and prominent labels were particularly important in Pakistan’s low-literacy settings, enabling consumers to identify products containing excessive amounts of nutrients and ingredients of public health concern.
Food and Nutrition Policy Expert Munawar Hussain said Pakistan’s food environment was changing rapidly as consumers were increasingly exposed to processed and ultra-processed products. He stressed that effective, evidence-based policies were needed instead of placing the entire responsibility for healthy choices on individuals.
PANAH General Secretary Sana Ullah Ghumman said there was no time to lose in implementing mandatory warning labels, particularly as children and young people were increasingly exposed to unhealthy food and beverages. He linked excessive consumption of such products with the country’s growing burden of diet-related diseases and urged immediate government action.
The Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination has already submitted an evidence-based proposal to the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) through the Ministry of Science and Technology, following recommendations from the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Health. However, the proposal has remained under discussion by PSQCA technical committees for two years.
Workshop participants urged the relevant ministries and PSQCA to expedite the process in line with WHO nutrient-profile recommendations. PANAH and media professionals also pledged to continue public awareness efforts supporting healthier food environments.
