A civil organisation has pointed fingers at the food and beverages industry, accusing it of bullying the government to prevent the introduction of warning labels on food high in salt, sugar and fat.
Amandla.Mobi, which advocates for the rights and well-being of South Africans, said big business was undermining draft legislation, reports Health-e News.
In a media statement, the organisation called on “big business and their associates to stop using their enormous resources to delay, dilute and delegitimise decisions that are in the public interest”.
It accused them of holding hostage the country, with threats of job losses and divesting huge profits.
Foods high in salt, sugar and fat contribute to many non-communicable diseases like heart attacks, stroke and diabetes, killing 41m people annually, equivalent to 71% of all deaths globally. And South Africa is not immune.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) released a report earlier this year showing that 51% of total deaths in SA in 2019 were due to NCDs. Cardiovascular diseases killed more people, with 226 deaths per 100 000 people. Men accounted for the most cardiovascular deaths (mainly heart disease, hypertension and strokes), with 253 deaths per 100 000, compared with 202 women killed by this condition in SA. About 85 per 100 000 people died of diabetes.
The report also indicated that NCDs account for 67% of deaths in low and middle-income countries. However, merely 2% of global health funding is directed towards tackling the ever-growing burden of non-communicable ailments.
Amandla.Mobi has started an online petition to stop big businesses from using their power to influence government decisions and harm the health of South Africans, calling for transparency and public commitment from the government to disclose all meetings, events, correspondence, submissions and other engagements with big businesses, among other things.
Amandla.Mobi’s founding executive director, Koketso Moeti, said prices set by big business limited South Africans’ food choices.
“Big businesses are still using their power to protect their profits at our expense. Researchers have pointed out that big businesses have worked to delay and delegitimise important health policies. This idea that we have the choice about what we eat is false, and the government should stand up to big business bullies and start to serve the public instead of private interests.”
He referenced the 2014 listeriosis outbreak in South Africa, with more than 1 000 confirmed cases, one of the worst outbreaks “caused by the processed meat industry that was under-regulated because these businesses found a way of putting legalities first”.
Priceless SA public health lawyer Mikateko Mafuyeka said the industry threatened job losses when presented with evidence proving they were primary contributors to the non-communicable diseases burden in the country.
“But they continue to make profits, while NCDs are an issue, and cost the country so much. More than 27% of South Africans are obese, a significant risk. This must be addressed without industry interference.”
Health-e News article – Food industry putting profits before health (Open access)
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Global Health Advocacy: ‘Big Food’ used pandemic to aggressively promote unhealthy food and drinks
Healthy Living Alliance: Study on political strategies of SA’s food and beverage industry
Still no regulatory changes despite 200 listeriosis deaths