Nutrition and health claims linked to food: the case for national Food-based dietary guidelines

Abstract

Foods, diets, and nutritional status are important determinants of non-communicable diseases. On the other hand, appropriate selection, combination, and consumption of food and nutrients can contribute to non-communicable disease risk reduction. This evidence is not lost on industry as it seeks to provide diet-related remedies for preventing and controlling NCDs. The challenge arises when nutrition and health claims linked with the marketing of foods and nutrient supplements is not consistent with existing scientific evidence at three levels: 1) Insufficient characterisation of the food or its ingredients, 2) poor definition of the claimed benefit, or 3) conflicting/insufficient experimental evidence linking the food/nutrient and the claimed benefit.

In Ghana, the print and electronic media in are saturated with incessant promotion of dietary/food products making a wide variety of nutrition and claims. Such claims are known to influence purchase behaviour, and ultimately, consumption patterns. According to CODEX, producers have a responsibility to ensure that food product nutrition and health claims are consistent with national health/nutrition policy, truthful, and supported by robust and are presented in ways that do not mislead consumers. On the other hand, national governments have a responsibility empower consumers to make an informed choice regarding food purchase and consumption.

Food-based dietary guidelines serve as a behaviour change communication tool educating the lay public on responsible choice in food selection. The lack of national food-based dietary guidelines in Ghana creates opportunity for proliferation of misperceptions about food and misleading nutrition and health claims in the marketing of food products. Evidence-based research is needed to inform the process for developing a context-appropriate food-based guidelines for people living in Ghana.