Colombia pioneers in passing Junk Food Law

Ten to Twenty percent tax will be levied on junk food

Credits : Healthify Me

Bogota (Colombia) – Colombia has recently passed an ambitious ‘Junk Food Law’ in an effort to combat lifestyle diseases. This law is one of the first in the world. The ‘Junk Food Law’ came into force this month and a levy will be introduced gradually. An additional tax on affected foods will begin at 10% immediately, rising to 15% next year and reaching 20% in 2025.

The tax targets ultra-processed products defined as industrially manufactured ready-to-eat foods, as well as those high in salt and saturated fat, such as chocolates or crisps. In addition to the tax, Colombia is introducing mandatory health warnings on foods with high content of unhealthy ingredients, such as sugar or saturated fat.

The Colombian diet is high in sodium, which has been linked to an increase in cardiovascular diseases, such as strokes and heart failure, which account for almost a quarter of deaths annually. The average Colombian consumes 12g of salt a day — the highest rate in Latin America and among the highest in the world. Nearly a third of adults in the country have high blood pressure. Other non-communicable diseases linked to diet and obesity, such as diabetes, are also problematic, with more than a third of deaths attributed to diabetes occurring among the under-70s.

‘Junk foods’ are foods that lack nutrients, vitamins and minerals, and are high in kilojoules (energy), salts, sugars, or fats. Junk food is so called because it doesn’t play a role in healthy eating.

Editorial Perspective

It is a shameful that despite a well-known fact that ‘Junk Food’ has adverse effects on health; no serious efforts are made to curb its usage even today.