Heala is an NGO fighting for equitable access to ensure that everyone can make healthy food choices, Communications Manager, Zukiswa Zimela is leading the fight.
Poor Food Habits Are a Health Risk
The number of unhealthy people living with hypertension, obesity, and diabetes in South Africa is alarming. In fact, many of these cases are linked to unhealthy dietary habits, often enforced by poor food labeling.
For instance, a high-fiber product, as stated so on the product, won’t tell you that it is also high in salt. Another example is fat-free milk – it may be fat-free, but it is also high in sugar. As a result, you may believe that you are making healthy food choices, but the reality couldn’t be further from this.
As a result, the National Department of Health released draft regulations calling for unhealthy food or foods that have high levels of sugar, salt, and saturated fats as well as artificial sweeteners to be labeled with a warning triangle.
Over the past few weeks, Heala has been at the forefront of the Front of Pack Labeling submission process. This process will help create a system that will supplement national nutrition policies and dietary guidelines. In fact, one of the best things about the regulation is that it will prevent big food organizations from making false health claims. The regulation will also forbid the marketing of foods high in scary nutrients to children.
Improving Food Labels
South Africa currently has back-of-pack labels with the ingredients listed. Sadly, the list is so technical and jargonistic, that it’s really hard for one to understand. Heala researchers have teamed up with the National Department of Health to help South Africans make better health and eating choices.
Heala wants to have signs that are easy to understand, preferably in the form of a triangle. These signs will be displayed if a food product is high in salt, sugar, and so forth. These signs will be placed right in front so that you don’t have to keep looking back to check or use a calculator to calculate certain foods on food labels.
The health risks of poor food labels
Sadly, many food companies are opting to put our health below profits, and this has been evident by the pushback that Heala has experienced. Food companies and manufacturers talk about job losses, but the losses that exist from non-communicable diseases are astronomical.
In fact, it costs the state billions of rand each year to deal with non-communicable diseases. It also costs individuals time off from work – which can be risky for those reliant on a single income.
Our diets and food, specifically ultra-processed foods that are available, are a cause for concern and the idea that people don’t care about things like this is disingenuous. The point of the submission process that Heala is currently engaged in is to create awareness for people. After all, people do better when they know better.
How can I help improve food labeling?
Heala is currently running several campaigns for people to send submissions. Simply visit their Instagram page, click on the link in their bio, and you’ll be directed to their petition. Here, you’ll enter your name, surname, and a message of support for the regulation, which will then be sent directly to the National Department of Health.
Watch the interview
The video interview with Zukiswa Zimela contains the entire dialogue of this interview, and you can watch it below:
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