Group calls on FG to introduce tax on sugary, fatty foods

From Isaac Anumihe, Abuja

Network for Health Equity and Development (NHED) has called on the federal government to tax manufacturers of sugary or fatty foods because the incidence of cardiovascular health has risen from five to 30 per cent.

Addressing newsmen in Abuja on Thursday, the technical director of the group, Dr. Jerome Mafeni, said that most people die because of the food they consume. Such consumptive foods include salt, sugar, saturated fats and trans-fatty acids.

Mafeni, regretted that in Nigeria, manufacturers do not label the amount and quantity of those substances on their products. So, he called on the government to make it a law for manufacturers to specify the quantity of those substances in their products to enable people make their own choices.

“If we can have a simple, visible label to inform people that some foods have high fatty acids, sugar content or salty content, then it’s left for individuals to make a choice” he said.

According to the technical director, while high intake of sugar causes diabetes and obesity, high intake of saturated fats cause high blood pressure and trans-fatty acids cause cancer.

“Lots of fast foods have a lot of trans-fatty acids. The more you recycle oil, the more you generate trans-fatty acids. There’s no need for people to die because of the food they eat” he said

The technical director also stated that his organisation is initiating a campaign for the elimination of trans-fatty acids in Nigerian foods through the strengthening of National Agency for Food Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) regulation 111 2021.

“NHED is working in coalition with national and international partners on the campaign for the elimination of trans-fatty acids from Nigerian foods by supporting NAFDAC to revise regulations on trans-fatty acids (TFAs) in Nigerian foods” he said, adding that the campaign is also aimed at creating awareness for consumers to avoid TFA consumption. He said that trans-fats have been linked to increases of diabetes, hypertension and obesity

“Estimates by the World Bank Organisation (WHO), show that 250,000 persons die yearly from complications associated with the consumption of foods high in trans fats. Results achieved so far include the successful revision of the national TFA regulations by NAFDAC,” he noted