ISLAMABAD: Health activists on Monday said increasing consumption of ultra-processed food poses a serious threat to public health in Pakistan.

The General Secretary of the Pakistan National Heart Association (PANAH), Sanaullah Ghumman, while speaking to participants of a meeting, said that ischemic heart diseases, stroke and diabetes have become the top reasons for death among Pakistanis. He said that the government should adopt policies based on evidence to reduce consumption of ultra-processed products and sugary drinks.

He also said that provincial food authorities, under the directives of the prime minister’s strategic reform units, were campaigning to print calories on the menus of restaurants.

“This intervention may have limited or no impact as the source of calories matters. One could not compare the calories coming from broccoli or a glass of milk with those coming from sugary drinks or a plate of pasta. Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority, along with provincial food authorities, should focus on introducing mandatory front-of-pack warning labels to restaurant foods and all packaged processed foods. This could help consumers identify unhealthy foods and choose healthier alternatives,” Mr Ghumman said.

Munawar Hussain, country coordinator at the Global Health Advocacy Incubator in Pakistan, said unhealthy diets were among the top risk factors for non-communicable diseases and were killing thousands of Pakistanis every day.

“The evidence shows that reducing consumption of sugary drinks and ultra-processed products can reduce deaths and diseases and save the lives of several Pakistanis. The ultra-processed products are high either in one or more nutrients of concern like sodium, sugar, transfats, and saturated fats,” he said.

National Coordinator Nutrition at Ministry of National Health Services, Dr. Khawaja Masood Ahmed, said that the tax increase on sugary drinks through the supplementary finance bill and later in the Finance Act 2023 was a step by the government of Pakistan towards ensuring a healthy diet for its population.

“We request PANAH and the Global Health Advocacy Incubator to continue providing technical support to the ministry for introducing evidence-based policies to reduce consumption of sugary drinks and unhealthy foods,” he said.

Published in Dawn, September 12th, 2023