Islamabad Political parties must commit through their election manifestos and high-level political statements to reduce occurrence of deaths and diseases caused by unhealthy foods by enacting and implementing appropriate evidence-based mandatory policies and regulations, health experts associated with public and private institutions demanded on Tuesday.
Centre for Peace and Development (CPDI) further said such policies, regulations and commitments must be in the best interest of public health and free of any kind of conflict of interest to reduce consumption of sugar, salt, trans-fats, and saturated fats in the diet consumed by people in our country. “The situation of Con-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) is grim and, therefore, Pakistan needs to urgently include public health response to NCDs in political agenda of the country, which must be reflected in the manifestos and public commitments of our political parties”, Mukhtar Ahmed Ali, Executive Director, CPDI told a consultative workshop here at a local hotel. “We have analysed the election manifestos of major political parties and found that there is a need of clearer and greater emphasis on prevention of NCDs”, he said.
“After consultations with cardiovascular health community and political party representatives, CPDI has come up with a set of proposed measures, which the political parties may consider for inclusion in their party manifestos to demonstrate their commitment to public health”, said Mukhtar Ali. He maintained that CPDI has proposed political party commitments to eliminate industrially produced trans fats, limit saturated fats from the food supply, reduce dietary sodium intake, remove ultra-processed products from the procurement and utilization in the public sector organizations, especially schools and hospitals, introduce mandatory Front of Package Warning Labels (FOPWL) to help consumers identify unhealthy food and choose healthier alternatives, restrict and discourage marketing of unhealthy food and beverages, increase taxes on all types of sweet drinks and unhealthy foods, and ensure availability of healthy and nutritious food to public at affordable prices.
Public health experts have been emphasising the seriousness of the growing cardiovascular disease problem and other NCDs. “Pakistan is witnessing an increase in diseases attributable to the consumption of food rich in trans fatty acids (TFAs).
“The Ministry of National Health Services proposes and working with regulatory bodies on limiting TFAs to less than 2% in all foods so that food supplies are relatively safe for consumption. This will be the first but very important step towards elimination of dietary risk factors”, said Dr. Khawaja Masuood Ahmed, National Coordinator, Nutrition and National Fortification Alliance, MoNHSR&C
The consumption of industrially produced trans fatty acids (iTFAs) is the leading causes of cardiovascular diseases, stroke and diabetes. The iTFAs are found in several foods prepared with partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) at home or in the commercial settings. “In its meeting on June 23, 2023, the National Standards Committee (NSC) of Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority had approved that the limit of industrially produced trans fatty acids (TFA) cannot be more than 2g per 100g of total fats in vanaspati, shortenings, bakery fats, bakery wares, rusk and breads”, said Munawar Hussain. It is high time when Pakistan must follow best practice policy options either by covering all foods with iTFA limit of 2% of total fats or ban PHOs, or adopt a hybrid policy including iTFA limits and PHO ban to eliminating iTFAs from the food supply in Pakistan”, he added.
