The Nutrition Society of Uganda (NSU) with support from Right2Grow_Uganda convened a stakeholder’s consultative meeting on nutrition and Food labeling on 26th June.
This meeting came at an important time as the country continues to grapple with different challenges in regards to accurate labelling of foods especially in a way that would help consumers in making informed decisions from a nutrition point of view.
It aimed at reviewing the current status of nutrition labelling compliance in Uganda; identifying key barriers and enablers of effective Nutrition labelling; sharing experiences and best practices from national and regional perspectives; proposing actionable recommendations for improving policy, regulation, enforcement and industry support.
The meeting was highly attended by seasoned members in line with the subject matter from the academia, Ministries, Departments and Agencies, Civil Society Organizations and Manufacturers.
Deliberations especially around the Front of Park Nutrition labelling (FoPNL) as a more effective way of Nutrition labelling to guide consumers in making informed decisions were central to the discussions.
There is still need for research and data gathering on the suitable designs and establishment of a nutrient profile model for Uganda for the FoPNL to be effected . Such a policy if linked to other nutrition policies available, made mandatory and an appropriate institute designated to administer it, would go a long way in solving a number of nutrition labelling challenges that the country faces. Right from the labels used themselves to the understanding of the labels by consumer as they make their decisions.
Needless to say, even with all efforts in place, there is still need for mindset change of the consumers into paying attention to Nutrition labels.
