Most packaged foods in Kenya fail nutrition standards, report finds
High intake of table salt (sodium chloride), which is otherwise an essential nutrient, increases the risk of heart disease, stroke and premature death.
A comprehensive report has revealed that more than 90 per cent of packaged foods sold in the Kenyan market contain dangerously high levels of sugar, salt and fat.
The latest Global Access to Nutrition Index (ATNi), which evaluates the nutritional quality of products, examined over 25 major food and beverage companies operating in the Kenyan market.
The index evaluated products across a wide range of categories that form the backbone of Kenya's processed food market. These included beverages such as carbonated drinks, juices, and energy drinks as well as food staples like rice, pasta and noodles.
Also included in the study were snacks — including biscuits and confectionery; dairy products and ice cream; cooking essentials like edible oils and sauces; and breakfast items such as cereals and instant coffee.
The assessment used Kenya's own nutrient profile model. This sets specific limits for total fat, saturated fat, total sugars, and sodium across 21 categories of processed foods.
Some household names failed to meet the standards, with assessed products containing excessive levels of harmful nutrients. Some baked goods contain high levels of sugar, salt and saturated fat. Others failed across the savoury snacks, sweet biscuits, snack bars, and fruit snacks categories. An examination of some rice, pasta and noodles products found they had exceeded safe nutrient levels.
The report also found that most companies have made little progress in reducing harmful nutrients in their products, with only a few brands decreasing sodium, sugars, saturated fats, and industrially produced trans fats, or increasing beneficial ingredients like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes.
The report adds that the findings on the products have serious implications for public health in Kenya, where non-communicable diseases linked to poor diet are rising.
The high prevalence of excessive sugar, salt and fat in processed foods contributes to increasing rates of diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.
The timing of this assessment is particularly significant as Kenya considers strengthening its food labelling regulations and public health policies. The nutrient profile model used in this assessment was specifically developed to support front-of-package labelling requirements that would help consumers make informed choices.
However, with the increase in chronic diseases in the country, the report notes that the global food and beverage industry has been experiencing strong growth, particularly in emerging markets, and that it grew by 10 per cent between 2015 and 2019 and generated around Sh400 trillion ($3.1 trillion) in revenue in 2019.
The report now recommends that all food and beverage companies whose products or categories contain high levels of sugar, salt, and fats publish a specific, measurable, and time-bound target for reducing levels of the nutrients across all relevant product categories; refrain from using health or nutrition claims on products not considered "healthier" by formal nutritional standards.
“Support and implement policies that educate consumers about healthy food choices, particularly the proposed front-of-pack labelling in Kenya,” says the report.
They have also been encouraged to adopt and publish responsible marketing policies to ensure that they do not market less healthy products to children. These include mainstream media channels, celebrity endorsements, sponsorships, toys, premiums, vouchers, and giveaways that appeal to children under 18.
Globally, the WHO is now pushing for a 50 per cent hike in prices of sugary drinks, alcohol, and tobacco to curb chronic diseases such as cancer and cut future health costs and preventable deaths. The initiative, called “3 by 35,” seeks to implement health taxes by 2035 in order to also raise public revenue that will allow countries to treat those who are affected.
“Health taxes are one of the most efficient tools we have. They cut the consumption of harmful products and create revenue governments can reinvest in health care, education, and social protection. It’s time to act,” said Dr Jeremy Farrar, Assistant Director-General of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and Control, WHO.
