The Ministry of Health is backing Prime Minister Bruce Golding's consideration of a tax on junk food imported into the country in an effort to reduce the prevalence of high-risk lifestyle illnesses among Jamaicans.
According to Sharmaine Edwards, head of the Nutritional Department in the Ministry of Health, a tax on unhealthy foods would be an incentive for a paradigm shift in the national diet.
"It is important for consumers to note that they are what they eat and if you continue to put unhealthy stuff into your body, then the outcome is going to be ill-health," Edwards stated.
She also advocates that Jamaicans increase levels of exercise, which would complement a healthy diet.
Provide revenue
The nutrition chief bemoaned the high-salt, high-fat and sugar-heavy contents of products in supermarkets, many of which are imported, she said.
"For one, it would provide a form of revenue for Jamaica, despite the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and the free-trade economy," Edwards said, "but if individuals wanted these imported foods, then there should be some tax imposed."
On the other hand, Edwards called for a relaxation in import duties on fruits, vegetables and high-fibre foods, which would promote healthier lifestyles.
"Those individuals who should really be consuming the fruits and vegetables are not (doing so) because of the cost," Edwards said.
However, her advocacy conflicts with a recent call by Senator Norman Grant, president of the Jamaica Agricultural Society, who has urged the Government to remove all waivers on imported food, which he believes causes a competitive disadvantage for local farmers.
In support of Grant's appeal for a stimulus package to jump-start the agricultural sector, Edwards is also pushing for farmers to be given more tax incentives and subsidies, thus boosting the campaign to encourage Jamaicans to eat more locally grown food.
Edwards said that a junk-food tax would help defray the cost of Jamaica's mounting hospital-care bill, much of which was channelled into addressing lifestyle illnesses.
"When the chronic diseases attributed to these foods (occur), at least the money will be there to care for them, as it costs a lot to treat chronic diseases," Edwards told The Gleaner.
Nutritional concerns
Checks at local restaurants and other eateries indicated that although many operators were aware of nutritional concerns associated with food laden with trans fat, they had not secured healthy substitutes.
Debbie Richards, operations manager of Island Grill, said the fast-food chain was exploring the option of healthier ingredients but could not find adequate alternatives to replace trans-fat contents it purchased from Seprod.
Senior operations analyst of Restaurants of Jamaica - the operators of KFC - Donny Baugh, said the company was aware of the concerns associated with industrially created trans-fatty acids.
"KFC is very conscious of our responsibility to meet or exceed the food-safety standards required by various regulatory agencies," Baugh told The Gleaner.
"KFC Jamaica is, therefore, committed to continuously seek ways to improve our food quality - inclusive of exploring the reduction or elimination of trans fat from the oil we use, based on taste preference and supply availability."
Baugh noted, too, that KFC Jamaica was seeking to implement alternatives similar to those existing in the United States, which would not force consumers to choose between taste and health.
sonia.mitchell@gleanerjm.com