Persons Encouraged to Use Purchasing Power to Demand Production of Healthier Foods

Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, is encouraging citizens to use their purchasing power to influence manufacturers to produce healthier foods and beverages as part of efforts to reduce the country's burden of lifestyle diseases.

Speaking at a Community Arranged Response Efforts (CARE) Fund sensitisation session at the Montego Bay Cultural Centre in St. James, on June 24, he said that consumers have an important role to play in encouraging food manufacturers to reduce the levels of sugar and salt in their products by demanding healthier options.

The Minister outlined that healthier consumer choices can help reshape the food market over time.

"If we demand it, companies will respond by providing what the market demands. It is not always the case where they have to influence us. We can influence them too," Dr. Tufton said.

He underscored that manufacturers should be encouraged to improve the nutritional value of their products in response to growing public demand.

"We can influence manufacturers to put less sugar in their drinks. We must influence manufacturers to cut back on the salt. We must challenge them around the marketing of tobacco products through legislation and policy but also through consumer advocacy. We must say to them we want healthier products,"he emphasised.

Dr. Tufton noted that while businesses operate within a free market economy, consumers should be equipped with the knowledge needed to make informed decisions about the products they purchase.

"It's a free market. People make decisions but consumers must know what's good for them and what's good for their children, their families and their communities," he said.

The Minister also cautioned Jamaicans against assuming that products available on store shelves or widely advertised are necessarily beneficial to their health.

"Not because something is legally allowable in a free country means that it is good for you, and I want that to be the message today. Not because it's advertised on television or on radio or you see it in the supermarket means that it is good for you," he said.

Dr. Tufton further noted that increasing public awareness is critical to reducing the incidence of chronic diseases linked to poor nutrition and unhealthy consumption habits.

He said community organisations can play an important role by educating residents about healthier food choices and encouraging families to adopt better eating habits.

The CARE Fund is a Ministry of Health and Wellness initiative that provides funding for community-based and civil society organisations to implement projects aimed at promoting healthier lifestyles, preventing diseases and addressing key public health priorities.

By Serena Grant