Certainly! Here is your text with each sentence starting on a new paragraph:
Nearly all packaged food and drink products sold in Kenya, from both local and international companies, would require a health warning label under newly drafted government regulations.
This finding comes from an independent report shared with Reuters by the non-profit Access to Nutrition Initiative (ATNI).
Kenya recently released its nutrient profile model and committed to using it for front-of-package labeling.
The ATNI report indicates that 90% of products from major international players like Coca-Cola and Nestlé, as well as local firms such as Brookside Dairy Ltd and Manji Foods Industries, contain excessive amounts of salt, sugar, or saturated fat.
Furthermore, approximately two-thirds of these products would be deemed “unhealthy” by international models like Nutri-Score, which factor in beneficial nutrients.
Neither the Kenyan government nor the implicated companies have responded to requests for comment.
This report marks ATNI’s first comprehensive assessment in an African country, following similar work in Tanzania.
Last year, ATNI found that products from the world’s largest food and drink companies were generally less healthy when sold in poorer nations.
The organization emphasizes the importance of expanding its work in Africa as dietary patterns evolve and obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) surge across the continent.
In Kenya, the shift is particularly stark.
Sales of processed packaged food jumped 16% between 2018 and 2023.
Concurrently, adult obesity rates have tripled since 2000, with 45% of women and 19% of men now classified as overweight or obese.
“Kenya is at this tipping point where they could follow in the paths of countries like the U.S., where we are seeing really high levels of obesity and overweight, or they could act now to try to prevent that,” stated Katherine Pittore, ATNI’s Head of Policy.
Pittore praised the Kenyan government’s commitment to implementing a warning label, calling it a significant step.
However, the report also raises concerns about fortified products, such as sweet biscuits and yogurts.
More than two-thirds of these, despite containing added vitamins and minerals to address micronutrient deficiencies, are still considered unhealthy under the new models.
Greg Garrett, ATNI Executive Director, highlighted this paradox: “You could end up addressing micronutrient deficiencies through some of these products, but also contributing, arguably, towards non-communicable diseases at the same time.”
The report’s findings are based on an analysis of 746 packaged products from the 30 largest food and beverage companies in Kenya, representing about 57% of the formal packaged market.
