Public health experts have called for mandatory warning labels on the front of food packages to help consumers make informed choices as consumption of ultra-processed foods increases the risk of diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Bangladesh.
They urged the authorities to expedite the finalization of the draft Safe Food (Packaged Food Labelling) Regulations, 2026, which would introduce Front-of-Package Labelling (FOPL) to alert consumers to the health risks associated with foods high in salt, sugar and saturated fats.
The calls were made at a webinar titled “Front-of-Pack Warning Labels on Ultra-Processed Foods: Progress, Barriers, and the Way Forward,” organized by research and advocacy organization PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) with support from the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) on Thursday, marking World Food Day 2026.
The webinar highlighted the growing consumption of ultra-processed foods containing excessive amounts of salt, sugar and saturated fats among people of all ages, including children and adolescents. Citing research, the organizers said 97% of people in Bangladesh consume such foods at least once a week.
Speakers said complex nutritional information printed on the back of food packages makes it difficult for many consumers to understand nutritional quality and potential health risks. Clear warning labels on the front of packages could help consumers identify unhealthy products more easily, they added.
The Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) has drafted regulations on FOPL, which are awaiting finalization by the Ministry of Food.
Speakers alleged that various food industry stakeholders had been pushing for voluntary labeling instead of a mandatory system, longer implementation timelines, exemptions for small packages and less visible or misleading label designs. They stressed the need for regulations free from food industry interference to protect public health.
Professor Dr Mohammad Shoeb, a member of the BFSA, said the draft regulations were currently with the Ministry of Food.
“The draft regulation is currently with the Ministry of Food. We have already responded to various queries from the World Trade Organization (WTO) through the Ministry of Commerce and are also discussing with business associations on the matter. We hope the regulation will be gazetted soon,” he said.
Dr Mohammad Mushtuq Husain, a public health expert and former chief scientific officer of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), said nearly 71% of deaths in Bangladesh were caused by NCDs, with unhealthy diets being a major risk factor.
He said mandatory FOPL could play an important role in addressing diet-related NCDs and called for the draft regulations to be finalized promptly without food industry interference.
Abu Ahmed Shamim, associate scientist at BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, said warning-based FOPL was the most effective way to help consumers understand the nutritional quality and potential health risks of ultra-processed packaged foods.
Muhammad Ruhul Quddus, Bangladesh country lead at GHAI, said implementing FOPL would help reduce health care expenditure and advance progress toward Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.4.
M Shamsuddin Ahmed, chief reporter at Daily Ittefaq, said FOPL was an effective public health measure and that the media could play an important role in expediting the finalization of the draft regulations.
Samina Israt, program officer for diet-related risk factors at the World Health Organization (WHO), and Aminul Islam Sujon, a consultant at Vital Strategies, also spoke at the webinar.
The webinar was chaired by ABM Zubair, executive director of PROGGA, and moderated by Mashiat Abedin, a coordinator at the organization. PROGGA Program Officer Shabnam Mostofa delivered the thematic presentation.
Representatives of civil society organizations, nongovernmental organizations, youth groups, the media and various professional sectors attended the webinar.
