| Global Access to Nutrition Index 2024 It is 5th report assessing 30 of the world’s largest food and beverage (F&B) manufacturers – 23% of the global F&B market – on their performance in improving access to nutritious foods. The Index presents companies’ relative progress across a range of nutrition-related topics and areas for improvement. |
- A new report by the Access to Nutrition Initiative (ATNi), reveals that leading food and beverage companies sell less healthy products in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared to high-income countries (HICs).
- It is the fifth edition of the Global Access to Nutrition Index.
- It analysed major brands, using a health star rating system considering 5 stars = healthiest.
- In LMICs, the average product health score was 1.8, much lower than the 2.3 score in HICs.
- Baby food products:
- Earlier reports, such as by the Public Eye and IBFAN, found that baby food products in India, Africa, and Latin America had higher sugar content than those sold in European markets.
- Micronutrient deficiencies, including anaemia, remain a pressing issue.
| India’s Status of Food Nutrition Regulation India is a signatory to World Health Assembly resolutions that focus on protecting children from harmful food marketing and promoting healthier food environments. National Multisectoral Action Plan for NCDs (2017), progress on implementing front-of-package labelling has been slow. There have been calls for mandatory food labelling to indicate high sugar, fat, and sodium content, similar to successful models in Chile and Mexico. A study found that most pre-packaged food products advertised in India were high in harmful nutrients like saturated fat. Over 50% of Indians cannot afford a healthy diet, while spending on processed foods has increased significantly, highlighting affordability issues |
Dig Deeper: Read about the CODEX Standards of WHO and FAO.
