How countries around the world fight harmful food

Taxes, fair labeling, sales restrictions  —  this is an incomplete list of measures that governments use to instill healthy eating habits in their populations. We tell you what results this brings

Junk food includes products with a high calorie content and low nutritional value, often called “ultra-processed”. These are sweet carbonated drinks, breakfast cereals, chips, crackers, ice cream and chocolate, nuggets, hot dogs and French fries. Such products are produced in industrial conditions in factories or fast food establishments from refined and maximally purified ingredients with the addition of emulsifiers, thickeners and artificial flavors. This composition allows for a longer shelf life.

The main problem with unhealthy food is its ability to cause addiction.

The combination of high levels of sugar, salt and fat stimulates the release of dopamine, a substance associated with the feeling of pleasure. These ingredients activate the reward centers in the brain, causing people to experience short-term satisfaction. Over time, the body gets used to strong stimuli and begins to demand more of them, which creates addiction.

The particularly pleasant taste and low price of ultra-processed foods lead to overeating. Because of this, people gain weight, which can lead to the development of a number of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular problems, diabetes and cancer.

Companies are not prone to self-restraint

In 2013, Coca-Cola launched the Coming Together campaign, aimed at combating obesity. As part of this initiative, the company announced its intention to reduce the number of calories in its products, and also offered to support physical activity programs in local communities. Since 2006, PepsiCo has been implementing the sustainability strategy Performance with Purpose, which includes a promise to reduce the content of sugar, saturated fat and sodium in products. Meanwhile, sales of sweet soda are growing  —  the market will increase by 5% by 2029, to $711 billion. The global potato chip market will grow by 6.43% in the next five years and reach $67 billion in 2029.

Ultra-processed products are actively promoted, and this is facilitated by mascots and advertising with celebrities. Usually, such food is strategically placed in supermarkets: at eye level or next to the checkouts to stimulate impulse purchases.

Ronald McDonald is the clown and mascot of McDonald’s. He is a character who helps to establish an emotional connection with the audience (Photo: McDonalds)

Companies are exploring new markets in low-income countries, where regulation is often weaker. For example, in Mexico, Coca-Cola provides shop owners with everything they need to operate street kiosks or mom-and-pop stores. There is only one condition: these outlets sell and promote Coca-Cola drinks.

As part of their concern for public health, governments try to regulate the ingredients in products and how they are distributed. However, corporations influence governments to ensure that any regulations in this area remain weak and ineffective. For example, food companies in Colombia have actively opposed the introduction of labels on packaging that would inform consumers about products with high levels of sugar, salt and fat.

Effective taxation

Some countries use taxes to combat unhealthy eating habits. For example, in South Africa, a tax on sugary drinks reduced sales of fizzy drinks by about a third. Prices increased by about 1 rand per litre. In order to maintain profits, companies raised prices, which made people buy fizzy drinks less often.

In the UK, a sugar tax forced many manufacturers to review their product range: from 2015 to 2019, the share of fizzy drinks with more than 5 g of sugar per 100 ml decreased from 49 to 15%. The tax only applies to drinks with at least 5 g of sugar per 100 ml. The rates are 18 pence per litre for drinks containing 5–8 g of sugar, and 24 pence for drinks with 8 g of sugar or more. The tax did not apply to juices and dairy products. According to researchers, this measure prevented more than 5,000 cases of obesity.

This measure has its limitations: for example, focusing on just one ingredient does not solve the problems of excess calories, high fat, and salt content. The scope of action can be expanded, but scaling such a tax will not be easy. Even on sugar in Europe, only 20% of countries have introduced a tax.

Clear and honest labeling

Consumers can make healthier choices if they have access to clear and accurate information about what they eat. This is facilitated by labels that rate products on a five-point scale based on their healthiness, taking into account the content of sugar, salt, saturated fat, nutrients and calories.

Nutri-Score is the most popular healthy food labeling system of its kind in Europe. It suggests a scale from the healthiest products to the most harmful. The system is used in seven countries (France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain and Switzerland) and is proposed as a new norm for standardizing the labeling of culinary products throughout the EU. Products are assessed by employees of public health institutions and researchers from scientific organizations.

Nutri-Score rating scale. It is assumed that the diet should include most products with a green label, and at least those with a red label (Photo: Wikipedia)

However, scientists criticize Nutri-Score for unfairly rating some products and oversimplifying them. For example, a sugar-free, calorie-free energy drink with a high content of caffeine and taurine can receive a B rating (equivalent to a “four”), despite the potential risks to the heart when consumed in excess. And Parmesan cheese can receive a bad rating due to its content of saturated fat and salt, although their small amount in terms of the amount of product consumed will not have a significant impact on health.

Restricting Marketing to Children

Childhood is when eating habits are formed that persist into adulthood. Because of this, Chile has introduced strict rules for the marketing of ultra-processed foods. The country has banned cartoon characters on junk food packaging and added labeling to products with high fat, salt and sugar content.

Black octagons indicate foods high in sugar and saturated fat (Photo: theexamination.org)

Since the introduction of these measures in 2016, Chile has seen positive changes: products are made from healthier ingredients, unhealthy foods are sold less often, and eating habits are improving. According to research, after the law was passed, Chilean children reduced their sugar consumption by more than 10%.

There are no mandatory rules in the EU that restrict the marketing of products to children. The only means of protection is a voluntary initiative of the largest food companies called the EU Promise. Within its framework, corporations commit to limit the advertising of products with high fat, sugar and salt content to children.

The main obligations include:
• completely eliminating the advertising of such products to children under 12 years old if the audience is more than 35% children;
• advertising is only possible for products that meet strict nutritional criteria;
• no promotions in schools aimed at younger students.

However, research has shown that this approach is not enough to effectively prevent obesity. Many ultra-processed products in Europe continue to be aggressively marketed to children. For this reason, in 2023, the WHO developed a set of criteria that governments should use to develop stricter policies to protect children from harmful food marketing. The model helps classify culinary products to determine whether they can be advertised to children based on their fat, sugar and salt content. It was tested in 13 WHO member countries. Particular attention is paid to products that are often advertised as “healthy” but contain harmful components.

Only healthy food in schools

In 2005, France banned vending machines selling unhealthy food and drinks with high sugar content in schools. This move faced strong opposition from the largest distributor of these devices. The vending company insisted on the importance of education instead of bans. However, according to the study, thanks to this measure, French schoolchildren began to consume 10 grams less sugar daily.

Improving the Eating Environment

“Nudge” is a strategy that subtly influences behavior without limiting choice. It involves creating conditions in which it is easy for people to stick to healthy eating habits. A study in the Netherlands found that simply placing healthy items (such as fruit and low-calorie granola bars) near checkouts significantly increased their sales.

England has recognized the power of this measure: in 2022, the government of this part of the UK introduced restrictions on the sale of unhealthy food at checkouts. Similar rules are applied in the digital sphere, prohibiting links to unhealthy food on payment pages when placing an order. According to research, the new law was supported by retailers, manufacturers, consumers, law enforcement officials and health officials in the country.

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