The Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation supported the idea of ​​labeling healthy food products

In the response of the Deputy Head of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Evgenia Kotova, to the appeal of the Vice-Speaker of the State Duma Vladislav Davankov, it was stated that the department supports the idea of ​​labeling healthy foods. A copy of the response document is available from TASS.

In a letter sent in July, Davankov proposed introducing a special mark on food packaging that would indicate that the product was approved by the Russian Ministry of Health. Such a mark will create a positive image for health products. Davankov also noted that the introduction of such a mark will support the production of healthy products and reduce the demand for products with a high content of harmful substances.

Evgenia Kotova said that the Russian Ministry of Health conceptually supports the idea of ​​food labeling, which will allow consumers to make the right choice of products, including information about the content of fat, sugar and salt. She explained that the Ministry of Health does not have the authority to approve specific product names.

Kotova noted that according to the WHO review, the presence of food labeling practices in many countries indicates the promise of such a policy. She added that most of the scientific evidence for the effectiveness of such measures comes from the labeling on the front of the package. The introduction of graphic health labels on the front of a wide variety of food packaging will impact both consumers and manufacturers and food service providers to improve food ingredients.

The Deputy Minister also noted that there is evidence of the effectiveness of labeling the menu of restaurants and cafes indicating the calorie content and salt content in dishes.

Kotova has proposed another labeling option that includes price tags on store shelves that can be applied by retailers according to rules approved by government agencies. This option does not require the participation of the manufacturer and may be voluntary or in accordance with the law. She also noted that this option would require the establishment of a national food registry and the collection of data on important nutrient content. The introduction of product labeling should be accompanied by other measures and an information campaign for citizens.