BRUSSELLS—Asian governments are facing the obesity epidemic with considerations of health logos for food and beverage products that meet certain nutritional criteria. If these initiatives are passed, products made for Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia may need to be lower in total fat, saturated fat, sodium and sugar to carry the logo. They may also need to be higher in dietary fiber and calcium compared to similar products in the same food category.
EAS Asia food and health policy manager Levie Cequena highlighted the growing popularity of health logos on products in the wake of prioritizing programs to counter obesity in 2011, and Indonesia’s plans to hold a multi-stakeholder meeting on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and obesity this month in Jakarta.
“The programs being discussed, implemented and advanced in the region are comprehensive, and food and beverage companies should be monitoring activities in this area," Cequena said. “Significant numbers in Asian countries are now considered morbidly obese, therefore most of the programs governments in the region are looking into are awareness and information campaigns on healthy lifestyles. The aim is to help make health and nutrition decisions easier for consumers."
Cequena highlighted advanced initiatives in Singapore, where products can carry a ‘Healthier Choice Symbol’ if they meet nutritional guidelines established by the country’s Health Promotion Board, and where more than 2,400 Healthier Choice Symbol products are on the market, with guidelines covering more 60 food categories. Cequena added Malaysia is following suit, with its recently announced plans to re-introduce a Healthier Choice symbol program.
To help EAS monitor these steps in Asia, this month it hired Cashmer Dirampaten as food regulation manager to focus on existing and developing food regulation and its impact on the industry across Asia.
