Tax unhealthy foods, but do it right

The call by Professor Anna Lartey for the imposition of restrictive taxes on unhealthy foods deserves serious consideration as Ghana confronts the growing challenge of poor nutrition and the need to create a healthier food environment.

The adjunct professor of nutrition at the University of Ghana made the call at the 60th anniversary of the Nestlé Foundation at the University of Ghana, Legon, where she argued that consumers were often being asked to make healthier choices while living in an environment that made those choices difficult.

That observation deserves attention.

It is not enough to tell people to eat healthily while unhealthy products are aggressively promoted and readily available.

Professor Lartey has therefore also called for restrictions on the advertisement of unhealthy products, including fast foods, junk foods, sugar and unnatural soft drinks.

The issue is particularly important because Ghana’s own national policy on non-communicable diseases recognises the need to strengthen regulation of the labelling, promotion, sale and advertisement of food and drinks, including sugar-sweetened beverages, saturated and trans fats, and salt.

Taxation can be one part of that broader policy response.

Ghana already uses excise duties on selected products, while non-alcoholic carbonated beverages are among products subject to the excise tax stamp regime.

The question, therefore, is not whether taxation can be used as a public-policy instrument, but how a health-oriented tax on unhealthy foods could be structured fairly and effectively.

Such a measure should be carefully targeted. The objective must not simply be to raise revenue.

It should encourage healthier consumption choices while ensuring that the burden does not fall disproportionately on households that are already struggling with the cost of living.

Clear definitions would also be necessary. Not every processed food is necessarily unhealthy, just as not every locally produced food is automatically healthy.

Any proposed tax should be based on measurable nutritional criteria, with clear rules that consumers and producers can understand.

There should also be strong consideration for warning labels on food products.

As Professor Lartey pointed out, consumers need clear information to identify products containing excessive amounts of nutrients of concern and make informed choices.

Public education must go hand in hand with taxation and regulation. People cannot be expected to change their diets if they do not understand nutritional information or have access to healthier alternatives.

Food safety must equally remain central. Professor Lartey’s warning that efforts to encourage people to eat more fruits and vegetables should not overlook the safety of those foods is an important reminder that a healthier food environment must also be a safer one.

The authorities should therefore approach the proposal as part of a comprehensive nutrition strategy involving taxation, advertising controls, clear labelling, consumer education and food safety.

The ultimate goal should be simple: make the healthier choice the easier and better-informed choice.

If properly designed, transparently implemented and regularly reviewed, taxation of unhealthy foods could form part of Ghana’s wider response to poor nutrition. But it should be accompanied by education, effective regulation and measures that improve access to healthier food.

The time has come for Ghana to move beyond telling people to eat better and begin creating an environment that makes eating better possible.

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