Dear Colleagues,
The Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC), in collaboration with partners, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Barbados (HSFB), the Heart Foundation of Jamaica (HFJ), and
the Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network (JYAN) invite you to the regional “See the Truth,” Campaign Journalist/Media Hangout on Friday 22nd March, 2024 at 10:00 am AST/EDT.
This campaign sought to educate and agitate the public about the industry’s interference tactics, enlighten about the reality of the manipulation and profiteering behind the industry’s interference and convince the public and policymakers to support the implementation of measures to protect the policymaking process from industry interference. It also sought to shed light on the recent vote for and against the adoption of the Final Draft CARICOM Regional Standard (FDCRS) which contains specifications for octagonal front of package warning labels (FOPWL) to be placed on food products “High in” sugars, sodium and fats, according to thresholds
outlined by the PAHO Nutrient Profile Model.
Understanding that your country was one of the target countries of this campaign, we are looking forward to hanging out with you to discuss the outcome of the voting process, its flaws and learn about your perspectives on industry interference and healthy food policy, along with sharing story ideas.
Please use the link below to register for the journalist/media hangout. We look forward to hanging out with you soon.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIvduCrrjwrE9BD3hl2lDKPNRkuXTzRJ5Ma
CARICOM Heads of Government endorsed FOPL in 2018 at its 39th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government; and around the same time, CARICOM Regional Organization for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) initiated a regional process of extensive consultations (managed through National Mirror Committees (NMC) formed by the National Bureaus of Standards in eleven member states) to revise the Draft CARICOM Regional Standard for the labeling of pre- packaged foods (the DCRS-5) to include front-of-package labeling.
CARICOM member states voted on the Final Draft Standard (FDCRS-5) in 2021, which included the ‘HIGH IN’ octagonal front-of-package warning label system and the PAHO Nutrient Profile Model (NPM) to guide the thresholds for labeling pre- packaged foods as ‘high-in’.
CARICOM countries agreed on maintaining the FOPWL and the PAHO NPM in the DCRS-5 during the second consultative period, and the DCRS-5 — which reverted to a Final Draft (FDCRS-5) — went out for Member State voting between July and October 2023.
Warm regards,
Sheena Warner-Edwards
Communications Officer, COP
Healthy Caribbean Coalition