The Pakistan National Heart Association (PANAH), alongside public health experts, journalists, and media influencers, has called on the Government of Pakistan to fast-track mandatory Front-of-Pack Warning Labels (FOPWLs) on ultra-processed foods and beverages (UPPs) to curb the surge in diet-related diseases.
Key Demands & Proposed Framework
- Label Design: Clear, black octagonal warning labels printed in Urdu, specifically tailored for Pakistan’s low-literacy settings.
- Target Ingredients: Mandatory warnings for products exceeding World Health Organization (WHO) thresholds for sugar, sodium, saturated fats, or containing non-sugar sweeteners.
- Current Policy Status: The Ministry of National Health Services has already submitted an evidence-based proposal to the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA), which has spent the past two years under technical committee review.
Public Health Experts Sound the Alarm Food and Nutrition Policy Expert Munawar Hussain emphasized that protecting citizens requires strong policy intervention rather than shifting sole responsibility onto individuals amidst a rapidly changing food environment.
Echoing these concerns, PANAH General Secretary Sana Ullah Ghumman warned that continued delay exposes consumers—especially children and young people—to severe, preventable health risks. PANAH and its media partners urged the Ministry of Science and Technology and the PSQCA to enact the pending proposal without further delay to safeguard public health.
