With ultra-processed food consumption rising in Bangladesh, public health experts have urged the government to finalise mandatory front-of-package warning labels without delay to curb unhealthy dietary habits and protect public health.
They warned that excessive consumption of foods high in salt, sugar and saturated fats is increasing the risk of diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs), while clear warning labels could help consumers make informed and healthier food choices.
The recommendations came at a webinar titled “Front-of-Pack Warning Labels on Ultra-Processed Foods: Progress, Barriers, and the Way Forward”, organised by research and advocacy organisation PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress), with support from the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), on Thursday , said a press release.
Speakers at the webinar said ultra-processed food consumption was rising alarmingly among people of all ages, including children and adolescents. Research cited at the event showed that 97 per cent of people in the country consume such foods at least once a week.
They noted that existing nutrition tables on the backs of food packages are often too complex for consumers to understand, making it difficult to identify products containing excessive amounts of unhealthy ingredients.
To address the problem, the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) drafted the “Safe Food (Packaged Food Labelling) Regulations, 2026”, which remains pending at the Ministry of Food.
Speakers said food industry stakeholders, both domestic and foreign, had continued to press for changes to the proposed regulations. Their demands reportedly include making the labelling system voluntary instead of mandatory, extending implementation timelines, exempting small packages and adopting less visible or potentially misleading label designs instead of clear warning labels.
They stressed that the regulation should be finalised without delay and free from industry interference to ensure that public health remains the priority.
Professor Dr Mohammad Shoeb, a member of the BFSA, said the draft regulation was currently with the Ministry of Food.
“We have already responded to various queries from the World Trade Organization (WTO) through the Ministry of Commerce and are also discussing with business associations on the matter. We hope the regulation will be gazetted soon,” he said.
Dr Mohammad Mushtuq Husain, a public health expert and former chief scientific officer at the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), said NCDs accounted for nearly 71 per cent of total deaths in Bangladesh, with unhealthy diets being a major contributing factor.
“Mandatory FOPL will significantly help tackle diet-related NCDs. The proposed regulations must therefore be finalised without delay and free from food industry interference,” he said.
Abu Ahmed Shamim, associate scientist at BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, said warning-based front-of-package labelling was the most effective approach to helping consumers understand the nutritional quality and potential health risks of ultra-processed packaged foods.
Muhammad Ruhul Quddus, Bangladesh country lead at GHAI, said implementing front-of-package labelling would help reduce healthcare expenditure and accelerate progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 3.4, which focuses on reducing premature deaths from NCDs.
M Shamsuddin Ahmed, chief reporter at Daily Ittefaq, said front-of-package warning labels were an effective public health measure and that the media could play an important role in expediting the finalisation of the draft regulations.
Samina Israt, programme officer for diet-related risk factors at the World Health Organization, and Aminul Islam Sujon, consultant at Vital Strategies, also attended the webinar.
The event was chaired by ABM Zubair, executive director of PROGGA, and moderated by Mashiat Abedin, a coordinator at the organisation. Shabnam Mostofa, a programme officer at PROGGA, delivered the keynote presentation.
Representatives of civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations, youth groups, the media and various professional sectors also participated in the webinar.