PreprintArticleVersion 1Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed
Evaluating Compliance with Local and International Food Labeling Standards in Urban Tanzania; a Cross Sectional Study of Pre-Packaged Snacks in Dar es Salaam
Version 1
: Received: 10 January 2024 / Approved: 10 January 2024 / Online: 11 January 2024 (11:27:48 CET)
How to cite:
Rusobya, H.; Mashili, F.; Ebrahim, A.A.; Kimera, Z. Evaluating Compliance with Local and International Food Labeling Standards in Urban Tanzania; a Cross Sectional Study of Pre-Packaged Snacks in Dar es Salaam. Preprints2024, 2024010867. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202401.0867.v1
Rusobya, H.; Mashili, F.; Ebrahim, A.A.; Kimera, Z. Evaluating Compliance with Local and International Food Labeling Standards in Urban Tanzania; a Cross Sectional Study of Pre-Packaged Snacks in Dar es Salaam. Preprints 2024, 2024010867. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202401.0867.v1
Rusobya, H.; Mashili, F.; Ebrahim, A.A.; Kimera, Z. Evaluating Compliance with Local and International Food Labeling Standards in Urban Tanzania; a Cross Sectional Study of Pre-Packaged Snacks in Dar es Salaam. Preprints2024, 2024010867. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202401.0867.v1
APA Style
Rusobya, H., Mashili, F., Ebrahim, A.A., & Kimera, Z. (2024). Evaluating Compliance with Local and International Food Labeling Standards in Urban Tanzania; a Cross Sectional Study of Pre-Packaged Snacks in Dar es Salaam. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202401.0867.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Rusobya, H., Ashabilan A Ebrahim and Zuhura Kimera. 2024 "Evaluating Compliance with Local and International Food Labeling Standards in Urban Tanzania; a Cross Sectional Study of Pre-Packaged Snacks in Dar es Salaam" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202401.0867.v1
Abstract
Urbanization influences food culture, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, where there is an increasing consumption of processed and pre-packaged foods. This shift is contributing to a rise in non-communicable diseases. Food labeling standards are crucial for regulating manufacturing practices and aiding consumers in making healthy food choices. We aimed to assess the compliance of local and imported pre-packaged snacks with Tanzanian and international labeling standards in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 180 snack products. A checklist based on Tanzanian and Codex labeling standards was used to evaluate adherence. We also examined factors influencing adherence, such as product origin, price, category, purchase location, and package size. The majority of the snacks demonstrated partial adherence to labeling standards. Imported products showed significantly better full adherence to both Tanzanian and International standards. Notably, over half of the products used English for labeling, and infrequently used the recommended World Health Organization Front-of-Pack nutrition Labeling. Product category, origin, and package size were significantly associated with higher levels of International standard adherence (p<0.05). The inadequate adherence to mandatory labeling standards, scarce use of Swahili and FoPL highlight the need to strengthen labeling practices and potential challenges faced by consumers in understanding nutritional information. Thus, strengthening and emphasizing good labeling practices is of urgency as we seek to address diet-related Non-communicable diseases.
Keywords
Food labeling; Food labeling Standards; Pre-Packaged Snacks; Front of Pack nutrition Labeling
Subject
Public Health and Healthcare, Public Health and Health Services
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
