The Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, is advocating for moderation in the use of fast food among Vincentians.
The matter was mentioned by Gonsalves during the inauguration of the newly established interim clinic in South Rivers last Saturday.
“A man asked me in New York last September while at the United Nations what the national dish of SVG was. I had to seek clarification if the question was related to before or after the arrival of the KFC. If it was before KFC, the answer could have been breadfruit and saltfish, stuffed Robin, or any other local dish. However, I told him if the question refers to after the arrival of KFC, I had to tell him its KFC”.
Gonsalves asserted that this circumstance is not exclusive to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, but rather extends to other Caribbean nations, such as Trinidad and Tobago, where a plethora of indigenous culinary offerings can be found.
“I am not discouraging any of you from eating KFC, but you have to do these things in moderation. because, apart from fast food, we have local foods that can be prepared for good nutrition”.
Ultra-processed food, sugary beverages, and fast food with poor nutritional quality are replacing more nourishing domestic foods in the diets of families in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to a report published by the Pan American Health Organisation, “Ultra-processed food and drink products in Latin America: Sales, sources, nutrient profiles, and policy implications.”
The report shows that sales of ultra-processed foods and beverages grew 8.3 percent between 2009 and 2014, the last year for which data were available. It estimates that those sales continued to grow another 9.2% from 2014 to 2019, generating alarming effects on health and requiring government regulations to reverse this trend.
“We are observing the beginnings of an epidemic of ultra-processed food consumption,” said Fabio da Silva Gomes, regional advisor in nutrition at PAHO. “Its sales are growing disproportionately in comparison with those of other foods, filling families’ tables with products that do not contribute to good health,” he added.
The marketing and unrestricted publicity of these products in a market that is essentially unregulated in the area promote the trend. “We need governments to establish policies that restrict sales of these products. Ultra-processed products cannot form the basis of our nutrition. They can’t be an essential product in our diets,” da Silva Gomes stressed.
The report suggests reducing the health risks posed by ultra-processed products by reducing their overall consumption. This requires the implementation of fiscal policies as well as the regulation of ultra-processed.
