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With celebrities endorsing junk food, we really need a warning label strong enough to counter the influence wielded by them and keep consumers off food that is unhealthy and not in their best interest. The ‘ Health Star Rating’ or the health rating of food depicted by the number of stars on the front of the food package, proposed by the food regulator, is certainly no match for the celebrity endorsements and promotional campaigns unleashed by junk food manufacturers. .
For the ‘Front of package’ labelling to be effective and serve its purpose, the message has to be simple, eye-catching, universally understood and serve as a warning. Health star rating only grades the food on the basis of its contents, for an informed choice. But it does not warn an uninformed consumer about the danger of consuming such food. In fact star rating can also confuse consumers.
The ‘ Traffic Lights Labelling ’ or the colour coding similar to traffic signals, on the other hand, is unambiguous, easy to understand even by the most ill-informed, illiterate consumers and uses the universal colour of danger-red – to warn consumers about such food. And this should really be the choice.
Today there is enough evidence of increasing consumption of junk food, particularly by the young generation, not only in urban , but also rural India, thanks to their extensive advertising and promotion. While studies conducted in various cities, including Nagpur, Lucknow, Baroda, Chennai and New Delhi, have indicated high consumption of unhealthy fast foods by school going children as well as adolescents, a survey of schoolchildren from 30 government schools in rural Himachal Pradesh during 2014-15 showed a similar addiction to such food in rural areas too.
“A study of nutrition related practices in rural community”, published in the International Journal of Contemporary Medical Research in October 2020, also referred to how rural eating habits are changing for the worse. In families with under five children, junk food consumption was as high as 49.3%, the study said.
But what is even more alarming is the high popularity of ‘namkeens’ sold in value packets of ₹5 and ₹10 in smaller towns and villages where even children as young as 18 months and two years are hooked on to such food. Given the deleterious effect of consumption of such foods in the formative years, this should be a cause of utmost concern.
In fact a review article on the ‘Growing menace of fast food consumption in India’, published in the International Journal of Community Medicine and Pubic Health in 2016, listed the adverse effects of consumption of unhealthy foods high in fat, salt and sugar on the body — ranging from obesity, hypertension, diabetes and increased risk of cancer to growth retardation and debilitating diseases, infertility, attention deficit hyperactive disorder, low IQ, gastritis, dental caries, heart diseases, osteoporosis and allergy manifestations. The article called for immediate measures to wean away consumers from junk food.
Juxtapose all this with the number of people already suffering from non-communicable diseases and we have a grim scenario. As per a survey by the Thought Arbitrage Research Institute last year, 116 out of every 1,000 Indians suffered from lifestyle diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension and digestive diseases, and worse, two-thirds of them were in the 25-59 age group.
In Centre for Public Interest Litigation vs Union of India ( Writ petition (civil) No 681 of 2004, date of judgment: October 22, 2013), the Supreme said: “ We may emphasise that any food article which is hazardous or injurious to public health is a potential danger to the fundamental right to life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. A paramount duty is cast on the States and its authorities to achieve an appropriate level of protection to human life and health which is a fundamental right guaranteed to the citizens under Article 21 read with Article 47 of the Constitution of India.”.
Article 47 (Part IV of the Constitution) dealing with Directive Principles of State Policy casts a duty on the State to raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living and improve public health.
Thus, it is the duty of the food regulator to ensure that citizens are adequately educated and properly warned of unsafe foods in a manner that is easily understood by all. It is equally important to ban advertisements and promotion of junk food. When consumers start rejecting unhealthy foods, manufacturers will be forced to come up with healthy alternatives.
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