4th May, 2021

Leading nutrition researchers co-authored an article that highlights the role that ultra-processed food and beverage consumption has had on nutrition-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like obesity and diabetes. The paper, which was published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology in April 2021, provides evidence that healthy food policies are effective in reducing consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF). In the article, the researchers call on governments to act quickly to implement effective healthy food policies, specifically recommending fiscal policies such as taxation, marketing restrictions, healthy school food policies and front of package warning labels.

Sir Trevor Hassell, President of the Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) welcomed the paper which lends support to regional calls for front-of-package warning labeling (FOPWL) by the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC); and further supports a series of CARICOM Heads of Government mandates endorsing FOPWL.