Ahead of World Diabetes Day 2026, health advocates have called for mandatory warning labels on packaged food products to help consumers identify excessive levels of sugar, salt and saturated fat and make informed dietary choices.
The growing consumption of ultra-processed foods and beverages containing high amounts of these nutrients is increasing the risk of diabetes and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Bangladesh, they warned.
World Diabetes Day will be observed on Saturday under the theme “Early Action on Diabetes”.
According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), around 13.9 million people aged 20-79 were living with diabetes in Bangladesh in 2024.
Of them, 39.1 per cent were unaware of their condition.
The country also spent an estimated Tk12,000crore on diabetes-related healthcare in the same year, according to the IDF.
Against this backdrop, experts have stressed the need to introduce mandatory warning-based Front-of-Package Labelling (FOPL) to help consumers identify packaged products containing excessive amounts of sugar, salt and saturated fat.
Research in Bangladesh has found that warning-based FOPL is the most effective approach to helping consumers recognise ultra-processed products high in these nutrients.
Research also indicates that around 97 per cent of people in Bangladesh consume packaged food at least once a week, while the levels of salt, sugar and fat in many processed food products exceed the World Health Organization’s recommended daily limits.
In a statement issued ahead of World Diabetes Day, ABM Zubair, executive director of research and advocacy organisation PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress), said consumers had the right to know whether food products contained excessive amounts of sugar and other ingredients that could harm their health.
“As part of early action to prevent diabetes, consumers have the right to know whether food products contain excessive amounts of sugar and other ingredients that pose risks to their health,” he said.
Zubair called for the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority’s draft Safe Food (Packaged Food Labelling) Regulations, 2026 to be finalised promptly without dilution, exemptions or delays.
He said the regulations should pave the way for mandatory warning labels on the front of food packages to protect public health and help prevent diet-related diseases.
