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Press Statement: HEALA CALLS ON THE FINANCE MINISTER TO TAKE THE HEALTH OF SOUTH AFICANS SERIOUSLY AHEAD OF HIS 2023 BUDGET SPEECH

Posted on by Zukiswa Zimela

Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA) is calling on the Finance Minister to put people’s health ahead of industry interests when he delivers his 2023 budget speech on 22nd of February. South Africans are facing a deluge of non-communicable diseases which could be prevented if the government institutes research based fiscal and legislative policies. Our health system is significantly challenged. The South African health system faces a range of systemic and structural challenges to deliver quality and affordable health care.

It is important to clarify that many of the issues plaguing the sugar sector have little to do with the Health Promotion Levy (HPL). The challenges plaguing the sugar industries are well documented and date back to over two decades prior to the implementation of the HPL in 2018, the sugar industry was already highlighting issues of a lack of economies of scale and scope, high inputs costs (Chemicals and seeds), lack of access to markets, farming marginal and communal lands and serious governance challenges, especially in cooperatives. These were highlighted by the South African Farmers Development Association (SAFDA) to the Trade Industry and Competition Committee in 2017.

“The main issues are cheap sugar imports, climate change, floods, loadshedding and the sugar industry’s own inefficiencies, corporate governance and corruption, high labour outputs, outdated technology. The HPL cannot be the main reason for the sugar industry’s problem. It is important for Industry to begin addressing its own inefficiencies that affect jobs and stop scapegoating the HPL” says Nzama Mbalati, Programme Director at Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA).

South Africa suffers from a considerable health burden including communicable disease, violence, and injury as well as non-communicable diseases. Reducing morbidity and mortality for all South Africans requires an approach that transcends health services, where public policy addresses the broader social and economic determinants of health by designing and implementing interventions that improve people’s health more effectively than individual interventions within the health sector.

Legislative, regulatory, and fiscal policies could substantially and cost-effectively reduce the burden of nutrition-related non-communicable diseases. South Africa has successfully reduced the salt content of foods through mandatory regulation and there is evidence demonstrating that a 20 per cent tax on sugary beverages will reduce obesity.

What the sugar industry fails to mention is how much the illnesses caused by their products are costing taxpayers. Diet-related diseases are killing us. In 2017, about 47000 people died from diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Currently, an estimated twelve million South Africans suffer from diet-related diseases. It costs ZAR62 billion to treat annually, and about ZAR33 billion of that expenditure can be avoided if SA takes measures to prevent diet-related diseases.

SA cannot sit for her people to suffer from industry profit activities. Industry must accept responsibility of loss of life, rising NCD management cost, and the pain our people suffer through no

fault of theirs. The history of the South African sugar industry cast light upon deeply rooted obstacles for sugar reduction anti-obesity interventions.

This is money that could be used to fund much-needed social programmes. Let us remember that this financial burden falls on the very people whose jobs they claim have been shed by the tax, the money used to treat people with non-communicable diseases is taken from the taxpayers, many of whom are struggling to make ends meet.

Research exists to show that the sugar tax has worked in reducing obesity, particularly in young people. Experts from the Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge reported that the introduction of the sugar tax was associated with an 8% relative reduction in obesity levels.

The local sugar industry has been and continues to be in steady decline. It is important for the industry to pivot and find relevance in diversifying crops and look at other uses of sugar through biofuel market.

ENDS
For more information and interviews, please contact:

Nzama Mbalati on 082 734 5414
Zukiswa Zimela on 074 521 0652

World Diabetes Day, HEALA CALLS ON GOVERNMENT TO TAKE ACTION

Posted on by Zukiswa Zimela

In recent years, it has become very clear that South Africans are consuming more ultra-processed foods that are high in sugar, salt, and saturated fat, contributing to an alarming increase in the numbers of obesity and higher levels of Noncommunicable Disease rates. This has resulted in an alarming  increase in the number of South Africans suffering from diabetes, hypertension, and some cancers.

This World Diabetes Day, 14 November, Healthy Living Alliance, HEALA, is calling on government utilise all tools at its disposal, including Front of Pack Warning Labels, (FOPL) to create a healthier food environment and fix the food system  for all those living in South Africa.

Illnesses such as diabetes do not only affect individuals on the personal level, they also have a crippling effect on the country’s growth. It is estimated that of the 4.58 million people between 20 and 79 years old are suffering from diabetes in South Africa. In 2019, 52.4% were undiagnosed with the disease. While the accumulated economic losses to SA’s “gross domestic product between 2006 to 2015 due to diabetes, stroke and coronary heart disease were estimated at R26 billion.

“Now more than ever, government needs to prioritise the health of all those living in South Africa by implementing a strong policy that will enable those living in South Africa to make more informed decisions about the type of food they are eating. HEALA is urgently calling for the National Department of Health to release the regulation on Front of Pack Warning Labels to empower all South Africans.  We believe that this can no longer be delayed in order to encourage South Africans to make healthier food choices,” says Nzama Mbalati, Head of Programmes at HEALA.

South Africans can no longer be contend with confusing and difficult to understand back of pack labels.  Front-of-package warning labels (FOPWL) on foods high in sugar, salt and saturated fat and containing non-sugar sweeteners provide consumers with a quick and uncomplicated way to understand what is in their food – helping them make healthier food choices by avoiding these unhealthy food products. 

FOPWL is aimed at discouraging consumers from buying and overconsuming unhealthy products by clearly alerting them of the dangerous nutrients contained in the food. Also FOPL will be key for refomulation to lower threshold of packaged food products hence reducing excessive unhealthy food intake at population level.

Nutrition warning labels highlight excessive nutrients of concern and often include the text “high in” or “excess,” warning consumers that the levels of those nutrients are above health recommendations.

Research has shown that effective front-of-pack labels will allow consumers to make accurate conclusions concerning the nutritional quality of a product by translating the back-of-pack nutrition information into an intuitive and abbreviated format

“It has been many years of waiting. We believe that food regulation is at the centre of encouraging and empowering consumers to make healthier choices and this is in line with the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendation for better regulation of the food environment,” Mbalati explains.

Left to their own devices, food and beverage industries are unlikely to implement measures to safeguard public health. It is up to government to create a regulatory system in place that works to protect consumers from the dangers of ultra-processed food and those high in salt, fat, and sugar.

“We believe that government will make the right choice and not listen to the food and beverage industry who want to look out for their own interests,” concludes Mbalati.

“Ends”

Issued on Behalf of HEALA by:

Maverick Brand Communications

Contact:

Neo Merafi- 071 359 9738

Or

Crosby Amos- 082 561 3544

For HEALA:

Nzama Mbalati- 082 734 5414

PRESS STATEMENT: HEALA Calls For Accountability and Transparency From Finance Minister Godongwana

Posted on by Zukiswa Zimela

Press Release

21 October 2022

For Immediate Release

HEALA CALLS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND PUBLIC TRANSPARENCY FROM FINANCE MINISTER GODONGWANA…

During the 2022 Budget Speech, the Minister of Finance announced a planned increase to the HPL of 4.5% – raising the levy from 2.21 cents to 2.31 cents per gram of sugar for sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). HEALA welcomed this announcement as it would be the first increase since the HPL was enacted in 2018.

To HEALA’s disappointment, the National Treasury postponed the increase to April 2023. We believe that the decision to postpone the health promotion levy (HPL) was a result of the sugar industry interference and lobbying.

“There are deep historical roots of the South African sugar industry and its influence on dietary sugar consumption at the population level. The sugar industry is a prime example of a colonial activity shaping the economy, polity, penetration of sugar content into food products, and blocking proven public health policies for an extended period. With the soaring health conditions linked to unhealthy food, the reliance on sugar and energy dense diet for industry profiteering is no longer sustainable,” explains HEALA Programmes Head Nzama Mbalati.

The National Treasury has not given the reason for this postponement or how the decision was made. This lack of transparency and accountability is worrying especially regarding a food policy that helps prevent unhealthy consumption of SSBs and protects the public against obesity and other life-threatening non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

“We have been trying to have productive engagement to get answers from the National Treasury about the meetings that led to the decision to postpone the increase; however, these requests have been ignored. We submitted a Public Access to Information Act (PAIA) application to the National Treasury, this application has also been ignored. We believe  National Treasury has failed to follow the Promotion of Access to Information ACT (PAIA) by not responding to our request to access this information, says Mbalati.

HEALA believes in food justice and for all South Africans to have equitable access to affordable and nutritious food. We know that this can be achieved through strengthening food policies that protect the public against unhealthy food environments and those that promote good health.

The economic, household, and individual costs of not realising the Right to Food are placing our people at a disadvantage to develop into a flourishing nation.  HEALA calls on the government to wholeheartedly commit to strengthening the health promotion levy, an existing and successful health policy, that benefits both the public’s health and government fiscals.  The National Treasury must increase its efforts to raise the HPL to the intended 20% and begin the process of expansion to fruit juices and lowering the 4g threshold.

ENDS 

NOTES TO THE EDITOR:

HEALA is a leading alliance of civil society and academic organisations fighting for every person’s right to healthy food in South Africa. Launched in 2016 by civil society organisations and academic institutions, HEALA successfully campaigned for the Sugary Drinks Tax implemented by the South African Government in April 2018. HEALA’s current campaigns include advocating for clear warning labels on ultra-processed foods, healthy food environment, marketing restrictions of junk food and sugary drinks to under-age children in South Africa.

For more information, please visit https://heala.org/

Issued on behalf of HEALA by Maverick Communications

Neo Merafi +27 71 359 9738

Crosby Amos +27 82 561 3544

For more information and interview opportunities, please contact:

Nzama Mbalati

082 7345414 nzama@heala.org

STATEMENT: Parents want to make healthy food choices for their children

Posted on by Zukiswa Zimela

Making healthy food choices is almost impossible when you do not know what is in the food you are eating.  

 When shown images of foods with warning labels, parents indicated that they would buy less foods high in nutrients of concern that were labelled as “high in sugar, sodium, saturated fat” and switch to non-labelled, healthier, foods. 

 This is according to an investigation [1] by researchers from the University of Limpopo, the University of Western Cape, and the University of North Carolina on parents’ food purchasing decisions and perceptions of unhealthy food.  

 Following global trends, South Africans are consuming increasing amount of ultra-processed foods. A quick trip to the grocery store shows that shelves are increasingly filled with pre-packaged foods which are often high in nutrients of concern such as in salt, sugar, and fat.  

 Nutrients of concern contribute to non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. Worryingly South Africans have a 51.9 per cent chance of dying from an NCD – diabetes, heart diseases and stroke being the most likely culprits – according to the NCD Countdown 2030. [2] South Africa has one of the highest prevalence rates of diabetes in sub-Saharan Africa. [3] 

 Parents looking to make better health choices for their families are bombarded by confusing and overly technical nutritional information buried at the back of the tins, boxes, and bottles at the store. Easy to read front-of-package labelling would translate the information consumers need to know into simple language.  

 The researchers noted that poor nutrition knowledge and affordability surfaced as one of the leading influencers of parental food selection. This study illustrated parents’ misconception about ultra-processed/unhealthy foods, where for the first time, they realized that these products were high in sugar.  

 “HIGH IN” front-of-pack warning labels, which clearly identify products that are high in things like sugar, salt, saturated fat, would help consumers easily spot unhealthy foods. 

 The Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA) believes that consumers have a right to know what is in the food they are eating. Easy to read front-of-pack warning labels could help consumers make better health choices.  

 We are asking concerned parents, caregivers, and ordinary citizens to join our call to The National Department of Health (NDoH) to release [for commentary] by signing this petition.  

 “Addressing non-communicable diseases needs legislative, regulatory and other measures agency to help save lives now. South Africa needs front-of-package labelling on its toolbox to help consumers make better choices and live healthier lives,” says HEALA Programmes Head, Nzama Mbalati. 

 For more information, visit www.whatsinmyfood.org.za to get more information on how you can be a part of the cause or add your voice by sending a WhatsApp to 079 751 9751. 

 Ends –  

 

 

[1] Bopape M, Taillie LS, Swart R (2022). Perceived effect of warning label on parental food purchasing and drivers of food selection among South African parents – an exploratory study. Frontiers in Nutrition, 10.3389/fpubh.2022.939937 

 

[2] https://defeat-ncd.org/new-reports-south-africans-now-most-likely-to-die-from-ncds/ 

 

[3] https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/16089677.2021.1897227 

 

The Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA) is a coalition advancing food justice in South Africa.  

 

For interviews contact  

Zukiswa Zimela  

Communications Manager: HEALA 

zzimela@heala.org 

0745210652 

 

Parents may make healthier food purchases when ultra-processed foods include warning labels

Posted on by Zukiswa Zimela

Researchers from the University of Limpopo, the University of Western Cape, and the University of North Carolina investigated how warning labels impacted parents’ food purchasing decisions and perceptions of unhealthy food. When shown images of foods with warning labels, parents indicated that they would buy less foods high in nutrients of concern that were labeled as “high in sugar, sodium, saturated fat” and switch to non-labeled, healthier, foods.

South Africa faces high levels of obesity and diet-related noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. Over two-thirds of women and approximately one-third of men in South Africa are overweight or obese. A diet high in sugar, sodium or saturated fat can increase the risk of developing NCDs. Front-of-package warning labels (FOPWL) help consumers quickly, easily, and correctly identify foods high in nutrients of concern. For this reason, FOPWLs deter consumption and purchase of these unhealthy products. The researchers conducted focus groups with 44 parents of children under age 16 who lived in the Limpopo Province, a predominantly rural area. Focus group participants varied by age, income, literacy level, and town or rural residency. Parents were shown mock-up images of products (chips, sugar sweetened beverages, etc.) with a warning label on the products. The researchers asked about how well the warning label was understood and whether seeing it impacted food choices for their children.

Key Findings

  • Parents expressed that their children’s health was their top priority, and warning labels made them think about future health impacts if their children continued eating ultra-processed foods high in sodium, sugar, and saturated fat.
  • Poor nutrition knowledge and affordability surfaced as one of the leading influencers of parental food selection. This study illustrated parents’ misconception about ultra-processed/unhealthy foods, where for the first time, they realized that these products were high in sugar.

Key Messages

  • The study underscores the important role that warning labels may play in helping parents make healthy purchasing decisions for their children.
  • Warning labels on foods high in sugar, sodium and saturated fats – key drivers for diet-related diseases – equip parents to seek out healthier food options and invest in the long-term health of their children.
  • South African policymakers should implement mandatory warning labels on unhealthy food products, providing parents easy to understand nutrient information that can help to discourage purchase and consumption of unhealthy, ultra-processed foods.

Bopape M, Taillie LS, Swart R (2022). Perceived effect of warning label on parental food purchasing and drivers of food selection among South African parents – an exploratory study. Frontiers in Nutrition, 10.3389/fpubh.2022.939937

Funding for this study was provided by Bloomberg Philanthropies.

Treasury chooses special interests over people

Posted on by Zukiswa Zimela

16 May 2022

For interviews, contact:
Nzama Mbalati, HEALA
082 734 5414
Nzama@heala.org

16 May 2022

Treasury’s postponement of a planned 4.5% increase to the health promotion levy, announced in the 2022 Budget, raises concerns about who calls the shots on the country’s national economic and health policy. The increase, initially announced to go into effect 01 April 2022, was a long overdue but welcomed action to curb the high consumption of unhealthy sugary drinks, reducing the risk of health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity. The levy has the additional benefit of generating revenue to support the Budget Review’s stated intent “to extend support to poor and vulnerable South Africans”.

“This delay calls into question the government’s appreciation of our current economic and health crises and looks like an attempt to appease short-term interests at the expense of the long-term health of our nation, says Nzama Mbalati, head of health advocacy organisation HEALA.

South Africa introduced a health promotion levy of 11% on sugary beverages to help curb the country’s sugar consumption fuelling a rise in noncommunicable diseases. The increase would raise the levy from 2.21 cents to 2.31 cents per gram of sugar for sugar-sweetened beverages above the threshold of 4 grams of sugar per 100 ml.

“We know that by reducing the amount of sugar people consume, the levy creates a healthier South Africa, reducing the cost of treating noncommunicable diseases and creating a healthier and more productive workforce, Mbalati explains. But the levy’s benefits are only possible if it keeps pace with inflation, and Treasury hasn’t meaningfully increased the levy since it was introduced in 2018. This delay shows that Treasury has chosen special interests over the health of our country.”

Treasury’s announcement did not explain how or why the government decided to postpone the increase to the current levy, only stating that the 12-month postponement of the increase is proposed to allow consultation on the expansion of the HPL to include fruit juices and lower the 4g threshold of the levy.

“An increase to the existing levy is unrelated to whether the government decides to expand the levy to include fruit juices or lower the sugar threshold. Treasury is deliberately mixing these two issues to appease special interests while at the same time slashing health, education and social support budgets and eroding our socio-economic rights. How long until our government realises that our nation will never meet its economic potential without investment in health and social protection programmes?” says Mbalati.

HEALA is calling for National Treasury to immediately:

  • Stop budget cuts that impactsocioeconomic rights provisions such as health and education;
  • Overturn the proposed postponement and implement the 4.5% increase to the HPL immediately, alongside consultations for expanding the HPL.
  • Indicate whether public commentary on the Revised Draft Rates and Monetary Amounts and Amendment of Revenue Laws Bill can be made and provide a deadline for comments.
  • Explain why a postponement of the increase is now considered an essentialrequirement to enable consultations to expand the levy and reduce the threshold, especially when the announcements made in the 2022 Budget indicated no conflict between the two processes.
  • Release the intended process for consultations, including timeframes andstakeholders, as soon as possible to ensure transparencyand help build public confidence and participation.

HEALA wrote an official letter to National Treasury dated 04 April 2022 to engage on this issue and made several attempts to follow up and secure a meeting with the Department to no avail.  

For media enquiries, contact:
Nzama Mbalati, HEALA
082 734 5414
nzama@heala.org

Treasury announces a postponement to the HPL increase

Posted on by Zukiswa Zimela

o4 April 2022

To:    Hon. E Godongwana Minister of Finance

Per email: Cathy.Shilubana@treasury.gov.za; Mary.Marumo@treasury.gov.za

cc:     Hon. J Maswanganyi MP, Chairperson

Standing Committee on Finance National Assembly

Per email: tsepanya@parliament.gov.za; awicomb@parliament.gov.za

Hon. YI Carrim MP, Chairperson

Select Committee on Finance National Council of Provinces

Per email: tsepanya@parliament.gov.za; awicomb@parliament.gov.za

Hon. SM Dhlomo MP, Chairperson

Portfolio Committee on Health

Per email: vmajalamba@parliament.gov.za

Dear Honourable Minister Godongwana,

RE: Revised version of the 2022 Draft Rates Bill

On behalf of HEALA, a coalition of civil society organisations committed to advancing food justice for all who live in South Africa, I am writing regarding the planned increase in the health promotion levy announced in the 2022 Budget. The increase of 4.5 percent – raising the levy from 2.21 cents to 2.31 cents per gram of sugar for sugar-sweetened beverages above the threshold of 4 grams of sugar per 100 ml – was scheduled to effect on 01 April 2022. According to the Revised Draft Rates and Monetary Amounts and Amendment of Revenue Laws Bill, published 01 April 2022, the National Treasury has proposed postponing the increase to the HPL until 01 April 2023.

The HPL was enacted in 2018 to help mitigate the health impacts of the excessive consumption of sugar- sweetened beverages (SSBs), including obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart diseases, tooth decay, certain cancers and other diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs). As you know, National Treasury adopted the levy at nearly half the recommended rate of 20%. Furthermore, Treasury has not consistently adjusted the levy to account for inflation over time, let alone increase the levy to meet WHO recommendations. The announced increase of 4.5% in the 2022 Budget would have only been the second increase across the HPL’s entire lifespan. Even with this increase for 2022 factored in, the levy rate would still have fallen since its introduction. Hence greater effort is required to maintain the HPL’s initial rate, yet it still represents an essential step. However, the recent announcement proposes to backtrack on even this minor attempt to do so for the current financial year.

As explained in the media statement released by National Treasury, the 12-month postponement of this increase to the HPL is proposed to allow consultation on the expansion of the HPL to include fruit juices and lower the 4g threshold of the levy. We agree with the necessity and value of such consultations with all stakeholders. Nonetheless, the proposal to postpone the 4.5% increase to enable this process conflates the matters without due reason.

In the statement, National Treasury does not explain why postponement is necessary for consultations or how they made this decision. Further, the media statement does not explain how National Treasury will proceed or whether the delay means consultations will be final by the 1st of April 2023. We should all be transparent that this intended increase does not even amount to an effective increase in real terms; instead, it merely achieves maintenance of the levy’s rate from the prior financial year. In simple terms, capitulating to a one-year postponement is another year that government further weakens the HPL and cannot be reversed by a delayed 4.5% increase in 12 months. Without this increase, the HPL continues to fall in real terms since its introduction, jeopardising real health and economic gains.

Local, peer-reviewed studies assessing the HPL have found it works. In Soweto, the HPL led to a 60% reduction in sugary beverage consumption among people who consumed a lot of sugar. Similarly, University of the Western Cape researchers found that adults between 18 and 39 living in Langa reduced their overall sugar intake by almost a third after levy introduction. Nationally this trend has held, with monthly household data from all nine provinces showing reductions in sugar, calories and volume of SSBs purchased following the HPL.

We feel that National Treasury’s decision to postpone undercuts the levy’s capacity to help avert South Africa’s trajectory of NCDs in favour of appeasing short-term and siloed interests. We are also concerned that by delaying the increase to the levy, the National Treasury is signally a severe lack of appreciation for our country’s looming health and economic costs.

As HEALA, we recommend that National Treasury:

  • Overturn the proposed postponement and implement the 5% increase to the HPL immediately, alongside consultations for expanding the HPL.
  • Indicate whether public commentary on the Revised Draft Rates and Monetary Amounts and Amendment of Revenue Laws Bill can be made and provide a deadline for
  • Explain why a postponement of the increase is now considered an essential requirement to enable consultations to expand the levy and reduce the threshold, especially when the announcements made in the 2022 Budget indicated no conflict between the two
  • The intended process for consultations, including timeframes and stakeholders, is transparent to the public at the soonest possible opportunity to help build confidence and ensure proper

We thank you for your time and consideration and look forward to your timely response on the above

Respectfully,

Nzama Mbalati

Head: HEALA

What is front-of-package labelling, and why does South Africa need it?

Posted on by Zukiswa Zimela

Easy-to-understand labels could save your time in the shop — and your health.

Let’s face it: Nutrition labels are hard to read.

In South Africa, confusing and overly technical nutritional information is buried at the back of the tins, boxes and bottles we buy at the store. But front-of-package labelling translates the information consumers need to know into simple language and puts it right on the front of foodstuffs.

At least 10 countries, including Brazil, Mexico and Chile, have already switched to front-of-package labelling or will in coming years. Now, South Africa looks set to join them.

Globally, front-of-package labelling can take different forms.

In some countries, front-of-package labelling looks like a traffic robot, colour-coding the levels of nutrients of concern like salt or sugar based on whether they are low or high. However, research from Australia and the United Kingdom has found this form of front-of-label packaging may be ineffective.

In other places, food may carry a badge that says that it’s a healthy option overall. Lastly, some countries may choose to use front-of-package labels that simply say how many servings, for instance of fruits or vegetables, are in a given food.

But “high in” front-of-pack warning labels, which clearly identify products that are high in things like sugar, salt, saturated fat or trans fat — what experts call “nutrients of concern” — are the most effective at helping consumers spot unhealthy foods.

1. Why does South Africa need a front-of-package label? 

South Africa needs front-of-package labelling to help consumers make better choices and live healthier lives.

Globally, ultra-processed foods often high in salt, sugar and fat are more available than ever before in low and middle-income countries, including South Africa. A diet high in sugar, salt and fat can put you at risk of developing a range of conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and heart disease — or what are often called non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

More than six out of 10 women above the age of 15 in South Africa are overweight or obese, putting them at risk of developing life-threatening illnesses, shows data from the most recent South African Demographic and Household in 2016. Overall, the World Health Organisation estimates that almost one in three South Africans were obese in 2016. About 13% of children in South Africa are also over weight – more than twice the global average.

As a result of trends like this, more people in South Africa are dying from NCDs than ever before, according to Statistics South Africa. Diabetes, hypertension and heart disease are all among the top 10 leading causes of natural death in the country, according to the latest figures from 2017.

In a 2012 national survey, about one in five people surveyed either had high blood pressure or were on track to develop the condition unless they changed their diets.  About a quarter of adults had high cholesterol levels, which can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke.  

2. Do front-of-package labels really work to change the way people shop and eat? 

Yes. Front of package labels that state a food is “high in” or has “excessive” amounts of nutrients of concern – think sugar, salt and trans fat, for instance – are proven to help consumers tell if a food is healthy or not.

For instance, in one study shoppers who were presented with sugary fruit juices bearing these warning labels were less likely to view the beverages as healthy, according to a 2020 study published in the journal Preventive Medicine. Fruit juices are often a hidden source of sugar in many people’s diets who may mistakenly believe them to be healthy.

Consumers were similarly better able to identify unhealthy yogurts, juice, crackers and bread when these products came with front of package warning labels, another 2020 study in the journal Food Quality and Preference found.

But these food warning labels don’t just help consumers make better choices at the till. Several studies, including one conducted among more than 600 young people, found that front of package labels can also make people less likely to buy unhealthy food in the future.

And front of package labels can save lives and money. In Mexico, front of package labels warning of excess nutrients of concern like sugar and salt are expected to avert more than a million cases of obesity in Mexico and save the country more than R25 billion in healthcare costs over five years, researchers found in another 2020 study also featured in PLOS Medicine.

3. But South Africa already includes nutritional labels on food, aren’t these good enough?

No. Several studies have shown that people globally and in South Africa have trouble reading traditional nutritional labels — even if they might not know it. Researchers in India, Mexico and South Africa have all found that many people actually understand nutritional labels less well than they think, found a 2015 article published in the Global Health Action journal.

For instance, most people in a 2011 study in the North West reported regularly reading nutritional labels. But when scientists quizzed study participants on how well they understood these labels, test scores revealed that even frequent readers did not always understand how to use labels to make better food choices.

A third of participants didn’t even read labels.

4. When will South Africa introduce front-of-package labels?

It’s not clear when South Africa’s national health department will release new draft guidance on front-of-package label requirements. It will be the first step in a long road to consumer-friendly policies that will help counter big corporation’s influence on what we eat for a more food-just South Africa.

Until then, scientists across the country are working on new research that will help guide the country’s rollout of new, easier-to-use labels that will save consumers’ time — and health.

The Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA) is a coalition advancing food justice in South Africa. For updates, follow us on Twitter or subscribe to our newsletter.

The evidence is clear: Sugary beverages are harmful; SA’s Health Promotion Levy is helpful

Posted on by Zukiswa Zimela

04 March 2021

“The science is clear on the harmful effects of sugar added to beverages and the strong, beneficial, effects of your current Health Promotion Levy (HPL).”

Over 35 top experts on obesity, diet-related diseases and public health from some of the world’s leading universities have written to Treasury officials to support increasing the current HPL to 20%. They are also very impressed with the results of evaluations done on the current HPL.

The dangers of sugary beverages

Drinking liquid sugar in beverages and the extra calories a person takes in this way have been linked to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes, hypertension, overweight and obesity. These are leading causes of death and disability in later life in South Africa.

  • Sugary drinks often have no nutritional value.
  • They are particularly harmful to the body in liquid form because the liver absorbs them more quickly than it can process and release. The excess is then stored as fat or glycogen deposits in the liver. This can lead to fatty liver disease and a higher risk for diabetes and other NCDs.
  • A person should not consume more than 10% of total calories from added sugar (World Health Organization and the World Cancer Research Fund guidelines).
  • But just one 600ml bottle of cooldrink contains 12% of total calories from added sugars for an adult.
  • It would require 16 minutes of running and over 1.5 km of walking to exercise it off.

Counting the costs

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how obesity, diabetes and hypertension add a much higher risk of going to hospital or dying from COVID-19.

Praise for the HPL results

South Africa’s HPL was the first major sugar-sweetened beverage tax based on grams of sugar. Researchers at the University of the Witwatersrand and the University of the Western Cape found that:

  • Prices of taxable beverages increased over the first year of the tax, while non-taxable beverage prices did not change meaningfully.
  • After the tax was introduced, purchases of taxable beverages by urban households fell by 29%, and sugar content from these purchases fell by 51%. Importantly, poorer households cut the volumes of their sugar sweetened beverage (SSB) by nearly a third, and dropped grams of sugar from SSBs by over half (57%).
  • In Langa in the Western Cape, young adults aged 18-39 years reported they drank 37% less SSBs and reduced sugar intake by nearly a third (31%).
  • In Soweto, Johannesburg, a study found that heavy consumers of SBBs dropped their intake by seven times a week, and medium consumers by two times a week, between the start of the study and after 12 months. These reductions stayed for two years after the HPL was introduced.
  • And contrary to industry’s gloomy predictions, public data on employment in the sugar and beverage industries showed no statistically significant change in employment and followed pre-implementation trends.

Why increasing the HPL remains a great idea

“The HPL will have a long-term effect on excessive weight gain and a direct impact on reducing the risk of diabetes, hypertension and many other NCDs.”

  • To further promote health, the global experts urged for the HPL to be doubled to the 20% levy that Treasury itself proposed in June 2016. This will greatly affect sugar consumption and dropping the cut-off level to 1 or 2 grams/100ml will have an even greater impact.
  • The HPL has generated revenue of R5.4 billion over the first two years of the tax being in place (approximately 0.2% of total government revenue over the same period).
  • The revenue could be used to cover health-related COVID costs, or go towards strengthening health services that focus on preventing disease.

HEALA believes that Government now has plenty of evidence to prove that the HPL is working. It could do even more.

The experience with the HPL shows that public health policies that increase the price of harmful products do reduce consumption.

Even more importantly, South Africans need to know what is in their food and drink so that they can make informed choices about healthy living and take control of their health.

202102 Global Experts Call for 20HPL

Budget Speech 2021: Treasury just cost South Africa billions here’s why

Posted on by Zukiswa Zimela

For interviews, contact:
Lawrence Mbalati, head of the Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA)
082 734 5414
lawrence@heala.org

24 February 2021

Treasury’s failure to raise the health promotion levy to 20% has cost the country billions in lost revenue to fight Covid-19 and is a missed opportunity to save lives in the long-term, says health advocacy organisation the Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA).

“Finance Minister Tito Mboweni’s failure to raise the country’s health promotion levy on sugary drinks to 20% is a missed opportunity to raise an estimated two billion in revenue to help fund the fight against Covid-19,” says head of HEALA Lawrence Mbalati.

Mbalati says that Treasury’s decision not to raise the levy also hurts the country’s fight to curb deadly increases in non-communicable diseases.

South Africa introduced a health promotion levy of 11% on sugary beverages to help curb the country’s sugar consumption fuelling a rise in non-communicable diseases. Currently, this levy amounts to about 46 cents to the price of an average can of original taste Coca-Cola, for instance. The tax does not apply to natural fruit juices or sweetened dairy products.

“We know that the health promotion levy works to decrease the amount of sugar people consume, reducing their risk of diseases such diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity, which has been linked to some types of cancer,” Mbalati explains. “But the levy’s benefits are only possible if it keeps pace with inflation and Treasury hasn’t meaningfully increased the levy since it was introduced in 2018.”

Diabetes and hypertension were among the top 10 leading causes of death in South Africa in 2017.

In Soweto, the health promotion levy led to a 60% reduction in sugary beverage consumption among people who consumed a lot of sugar, according to one survey. University of the Western Cape researchers found similar results from a yet to be published survey in Langa outside Cape Town that showed adults between 18 and 39 reduced their overall sugar intake by almost a third after the levy was introduced.

“The National Treasury itself proposed a sugary beverage levy of 20% in 2016 because officials know that research locally and internationally shows this is what South Africa needs to save lives,” Mbalati says.

“Every year that Treasury fails to deliver a health promotion levy of 20%, more South Africans die from diseases this levy could help prevent, and we know the poorest in South Africa are hardest hit. How much longer must they wait for the government to take action?”

HEALA will deliver a presentation to Parliament’s Standing Committee on Finance on 3 March when committee members will have an opportunity to reconsider their position and act in the interest of all South Africans — not the vested interests of the few.

For interviews, contact:
Lawrence Mbalati, head of the Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA)
082 734 5414
lawrence@heala.org

Read more:
What you need to know about South Africa’s health promotion levy