{"id":32496,"date":"2024-11-21T19:34:56","date_gmt":"2024-11-21T14:04:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=32496"},"modified":"2024-11-21T19:34:58","modified_gmt":"2024-11-21T14:04:58","slug":"disparities-in-the-quality-of-packaged-food","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/21-11-2024\/disparities-in-the-quality-of-packaged-food","title":{"rendered":"Disparities in the Quality of Packaged Food"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/Health<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A report by Access to Nutrition Initiative (ATNi) a non-profit global foundation, found <strong>disparities in the quality of packaged food<\/strong> in low-and-middle income countries (LMICs) compared to high-income countries (HICs).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About the Report:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The report assessed 30 of the world\u2019s largest Food &amp; Beverage (F&amp;B) manufacturers, which represent 23% of the global F&amp;B market.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Brands Analyzed<\/strong>: It analyzed products from major brands like Nestl\u00e9, PepsiCo, Unilever, Coca-Cola, and Hershey.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Method<\/strong>: The report used a health star rating system to evaluate the healthiness of food products.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Health Star Rating System<\/strong><br>&#8211; Under this system products are ranked <strong>out of 5 on their healthiness.<\/strong><br>&#8211; <strong>5 is the best<\/strong>, and a score above 3.5 is considered to be a healthier choice.\u00a0<br>&#8211; The system assesses components of food considered to increase risk and offsets these against components considered to decrease risk to calculate a final score that is converted to a star rating.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Major Findings<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Portfolio Healthiness: <\/strong>It was found to be<strong> lowest in LMICs, <\/strong>highlighting disparities in products offered across different markets.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Affordability: <\/strong>Only 30% of companies have demonstrated a strategy to price some of their \u2018healthier\u2019 products affordably for lower income consumers.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Global Health and India Context:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>High Burden of NCDs:\u00a0 In India<\/strong>, NCDs (Non-Communicable Diseases) like diabetes and obesity are rising due to unhealthy diets, contributing to a large disease burden.An estimated 10.13 crore Indians have diabetes, and as per National Family Health Survey 5, obesity stands at 24% among women and 23% among men.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Economic Survey of India 2023-24 noted 56.4% of India\u2019s disease burden is linked to unhealthy diets.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Affordability and Diet Changes: As per UN data <\/strong>over 50% of Indians cannot afford a healthy diet.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Malnutrition:<\/strong> Undernutrition, anaemia and micronutrient deficiencies continue to remain pressing problems in India.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Do you know ?<\/strong><br>&#8211; The<strong> Indian food and beverage packaging industry<\/strong> is experiencing significant growth, projected to reach $86 billion by 2029, with an annual growth rate of 14.8%.\u00a0<br>&#8211; This sector includes a wide range of packaging products like containers, cups, tableware, straws, bags, wraps, and boxes, all designed to protect and preserve food.\u00a0<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Food Labelling in India:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India has yet to make significant progress on front-of-pack food labelling to indicate unhealthy levels of sugar, fat, and sodium.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>While India has signed international resolutions on food marketing and labelling (e.g., WHO\u2019s guidelines on marketing unhealthy food to children), regulations on food labelling have stalled.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Other related initiatives\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India):<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is the central authority responsible for regulating food safety standards.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It sets standards for food quality, hygiene, and packaging.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It also oversees food business licensing and registration.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Food businesses must register or obtain an FSSAI license based on their scale of operations (e.g., manufacturers, retailers, importers).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This law provides the framework for food safety and regulates manufacturing, storage, sale, and import of food products.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It mandates food businesses to obtain a license or registration.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Penalties for Non-Compliance:<\/strong> Non-compliance with food safety regulations can result in penalties, fines, suspension, or cancellation of licenses.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Consumer Protection:<\/strong> The regulations include provisions for consumer safety, such as the requirement for clear food labeling and the ability to recall unsafe food products.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC)<\/strong><br>&#8211; It is an<strong> intergovernmental food standards body<\/strong>, set up in <strong>1963<\/strong>. The term &#8220;Codex Alimentarius&#8221; is Latin for &#8220;<strong>Food Code.<\/strong>&#8220;<br>&#8211; It was established jointly by the <strong>UN\u2019s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO<\/strong>), within the framework of the Joint Food Standards Programme.<br>&#8211; <strong>Objective: <\/strong>To protect consumer\u2019s health and ensure fair practices in the food trade.<br>&#8211; <strong>Members:<\/strong> Currently, 189 members (188 UN member countries and the European Union).<br>&#8211; The Commission meets in regular session once a year alternating between Geneva and Rome.<br>&#8211; India became a member in<strong> 1964.<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Challenges of Food Safety in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Lack of Testing Facilities:<\/strong> There is a shortage of adequately equipped food testing laboratories, limiting the ability to monitor food quality and safety across the country.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lack of Consumer Awareness:<\/strong> A significant portion of the population is not fully aware of food safety standards, labeling requirements, or their rights to safe food, resulting in poor consumer vigilance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Weak Monitoring and Inspections:<\/strong> Inadequate resources for regular inspections and enforcement, result in low compliance with food safety regulations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Street Food and Small Vendors:<\/strong> A large proportion of food is sold by unregistered vendors who do not follow food safety standards, often because of lack of awareness, resources, or regulatory oversight.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Non-licensed Food Producers:<\/strong> Many small-scale food producers and vendors operate without the necessary licenses, bypassing regulatory controls.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>False Claims on Labels:<\/strong> Misleading claims about health benefits and organic certifications on food labels are common, making it hard for consumers to make informed decisions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Suggestive Measures<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Front of Package Labelling:<\/strong> It would indicate high sugar, fat and sodium content, in Chile and Mexico for instance, the consumption of sugary beverages decreased after such mandatory labelling.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Public Awareness Campaigns:<\/strong> Launch national and regional campaigns to educate consumers about food safety standards, labeling, and foodborne illness prevention.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Regular Review of Standards: <\/strong>Regularly update and review food safety standards to keep pace with technological advancements and international best practices.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Global Harmonization:<\/strong> Align India\u2019s food safety regulations with international standards (e.g., Codex Alimentarius) to ensure that Indian food products can compete globally while ensuring consumer safety.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/should-packaged-food-content-be-labelled-explained\/article68891204.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A report by Access to Nutrition Initiative (ATNi) a non-profit global foundation, found disparities in the quality of packaged food in low-and-middle income countries (LMICs) compared to high-income countries (HICs).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32496","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32496","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32496"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32496\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32497,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32496\/revisions\/32497"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32496"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32496"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32496"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}