The Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), UNICEF and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) today highlighted the regulation by the Executive Branch of the Law on the Promotion of Healthy Eating, known as the Frontal Labeling Law, which is key to the protection of the right to health and access to information on the products you consume. the population.
The regulation establishes the obligation to carry warnings on the front of the packaging of processed and ultra-processed products – those with excess sugars, saturated fats, total fats and sodium – that children and adolescents consume to a greater extent than adults. The three United Nations organizations valued that the Law applies the criteria of the PAHO Nutrient Profile model, a tool developed in 2016 to help countries advance regulations and contribute to meeting the nutrient intake targets determined by WHO and protect the health of the population, especially that of boys and girls, when contemplating their specific needs. Argentina has the highest rate of under-5 overweight in Latin America at 13.6%; overweight and obesity affect more than 40% of children between 5 and 17 years of age and 70% of the population aged 18 and over, according to the Second National Nutrition and Health Survey (ENNyS 2). In addition, obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and the rest of the so-called non-communicable diseases associated with poor diet cause 140,000 deaths each year. “We value this regulation that makes it possible to move forward with concrete measures in line with the objectives and spirit of the law. We will continue to accompany so that it soon begins to generate the necessary transformations that improve the health and well-being of all Argentines. In addition, it will be an inspiring example for the rest of the countries of the Americas,” said PAHO Representative in Argentina, Eva Jané Llopis. “We welcome the fact that this comprehensive front labelling law has been regulated and will continue to support its implementation. In this way, the population can be better informed about what they consume and the right to healthy food is promoted with better tools, especially for boys and girls,” said UNICEF Argentina Representative Luisa Brumana. The United Nations agencies supported the process of regulating the law and committed to collaborate in all the actions necessary for its effective implementation. The law contemplates the regulation of advertising both in mass media and in packaging, as well as the promotion and sponsorship of these products. In its foundations, it cites a recent UNICEF study that “shows that digital contexts are completely deregulated in terms of the insistent and constant exposure of children and adolescents to unhealthy foods and beverages and in unrecommended amounts.” The standard – which establishes black seals that allow easily identifying when a food is unhealthy – also incorporates implementation times and allows limiting the supply of unhealthy products in educational institutions and must be prioritized in public procurement by government agencies. “Congratulations to Argentina that continues to give milestones in the progress and commitment towards a comprehensive approach to the promotion of healthy eating, from a systematic vision giving on the one hand tools to consumers about knowing more and better the nutritional value of each food; and on the other, it gives the food industry an enormous opportunity to be innovative and contribute to this healthy diet, at the same time it ensures the protection of school environments and the regulation of advertising, promotion and sponsorship of unhealthy edible products aimed at children and adolescents, “said Elizabeth Kleiman, head of the Sustainable Agri-Food Systems Area of FAO Argentina.
“Accessing this information allows not only to address the high rates of obesity and overweight that occur in the region, where Argentina is not exempt, but also to contribute to guaranteeing the right to food, from a human rights perspective for sustainable development,” added Kleiman. The law benefits all of Argentine society, especially children and adolescents, who consume 40% more sugary drinks and three times as many sweets as adults (ENNyS 2). PAHO/WHO, UNICEF and FAO workfor several years in different initiatives to support the development of regulations that contribute to preventing poor nutrition and the diseases it causes, contributing to guarantee the right to a healthy diet, the protection of children and adolescents; and improving food systems.
