The Caribbean is facing a health crisis that is largely being driven by unhealthy diets filled with ultra-processed food products (UPPs) that sometimes masquerade as healthy options. Although some industry players propose alternative labelling options, with our people’s health on the line, we need the label that is backed by sound, scientific research; and the Octagonal Warning Label (OWL) is 9 TIMES more effective at helping us quickly, correctly and easily identify products that are high in sugars, sodium and fats than other labeling system.
The Octagonal Warning Label enables other healthy food policies because it clearly and effectively identifies products that are high in sugars, sodium and fats and, therefore, harmful to health of our families and children.
This means it makes it easier to design, implement and enforce healthy policies like:
- Regulating the sale and marketing of these unhealthy food products in and around schools, and school settings like youth sporting events
- Regulating the marketing of these foods to children
- Taxing unhealthy food products and subsidising healthy foods
So, the Octagonal Warning Label is a crucial launchpad for these policies that can protect our children and families, and also make it easier and more affordable for citizens to make healthy food choices.
Modern diets lack fresh, minimally processed food and are inundated with ultra- processed food products high in sugar, fats and salt which lead to our region’s biggest killers: obesity, diabetes, hypertension, high blood pressure and even some cancers.
With these ultra-processed food products being made easily accessible, attractively marketed, cheap and convenient, it’s more important than ever to have clear facts about the food we buy and consume.
That clarity can go a long way toward helping us make healthier food choices and protect our families and children from the harmful results of unhealthy options.
It is a step toward rebuilding the health of our population one family, one meal, one choice at a time!
Everyone should to be able to correctly and easily identify foods high in sugar, sodium and fats.
But, for people living with living with diabetes, hypertension, high blood pressure, obesity and even some cancers, clarity and honesty can actually help to control their conditions, and ultimately save their lives by helping them make better, healthier choices in the long-term!
Appealing and persuasive package designs, clever marketing and misleading claims on packaging, and confusing nutrition labels can often lead to unhealthy food products being mistaken as “good for us”. Consumers need help to combat these tactics.
This is why we need a label that provides clear facts that let us quickly, correctly and easily identify unhealthy food products.
Launch Date: Monday | 25 SEPTEMBER, 2023
Locale: Regional/Caribbean
Type: Social Media Campaign
Purpose: To advocate and build support for the current final draft regional standard for labelling pre-packaged foods, which includes the octagonal front-of-package warning labelling system.
In October 2023, CARICOM countries voted on whether to approve the Octagonal Warning Labels or not. Thanks to everyone who signed the petition in support of the Octagonal Warning Label!
1470
People Signed (including Caribbean Academics, Researchers and Health Practitioners)