Experts defend extra taxation for ultra-processed products – 09/28/2023 – Balance and Health

The discussion of tax reform is an opportunity to tax products that are harmful to health, such as cigarettes, alcohol and ultra-processed foods, which are risk factors for cancer and other diseases. The text was approved in the first round by the Chamber and is being processed in the Senate.

Marília Albiero Sobral, coordinator of the NGO ACT Promoção de Saúde, states that price is a determining factor for most Brazilians when choosing the products that will go on the table. As a result, ultra-processed foods, such as instant noodles and sausage, are cheaper and end up gaining preference.

The discussion took place this Thursday (28), the last day of the 10th All Together Against Cancer Congress, held in São Paulo.

It is estimated that 33 million Brazilians are hungry, out of a total of 125 million who are food insecure, according to the 2nd National Survey on Food Insecurity in the Context of the Covid-19 Pandemic in Brazil.

On the other hand, obesity or overweight affects 56.8% of the population, according to Covitel 2023 (Telephone Survey of Risk Factors for Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases in Times of Pandemic).

“When you cross-reference this data, you see that the same individual is the target of all these effects. How is this possible in a country that is the breadbasket of the world?”, says Sobral.

Obesity is one of the consequences of excessive consumption of products with low nutritional value, with high sugar content. On the other hand, chronic disease is considered a risk factor for at least 13 types of cancer, including breast and prostate, the most common in Brazil.

The Food Guide for the Brazilian Population, produced by the Ministry of Health in 2014, classifies ingredients into four types. Fresh or minimally processed are the most recommended, as they have great nutritional value. Oils, fats, salt and sugar should be used in small quantities, only for seasoning and preparing meals.

Processed foods, such as bread or cheese, in turn, already undergo relevant changes in their nutritional value, and should be supporting. Finally, ultra-processed foods should be avoided.

With the increase in prices in the markets, more people find themselves restricted when choosing between these ingredients. But Sobral says that, while fruit and vegetables have never been so expensive, ultra-processed foods have not suffered the same effects of inflation.

The expert sees new opportunities in tax reform. In addition to taxing harmful products, the exemption can be used to favor fresh or minimally processed products, which are better for food. Furthermore, there is the possibility of using resources collected from selective taxes to finance the health system.

There is, however, concern that harmful ingredients will end up being favored, as many states include items such as sausage, margarine, cookies and chocolate milk in the basic food basket. The specialist advocates a review of the composition of the baskets, using the Food Guide as a mandatory reference in the development of public policies for feeding the population.

As approved by the Chamber, products subject to extra taxation — which became known as the “sin tax” — must be defined in a complementary law. Therefore, Thainá Alves Malhão, technologist at Inca (National Cancer Institute), reinforces the need for constant mobilization.

She highlights the need to promote education for the population. While tobacco is widely known as a carcinogenic product, 70% of Brazilians do not associate the emergence of tumors with the consumption of ultra-processed foods, and 60% do not recognize alcoholic beverages as a risk factor, he states.

Simone Kikuchi, nutritionist at the NutriOnco group, highlights the importance of educating children and adolescents. “First, they have to actually touch the food, to know what it is. They have to take it to the market, in the grocery store.” According to her, the example of parents is also important. Making better choices in the markets and not giving children open options are also strategies for making meals healthier.

But, despite starting at home, children’s nutrition depends on the context in which they live and, in this aspect, national public policies are of great relevance. Today, Pnae (National School Food Program) provides quality food to 44 million students in the national public system, mainly reaching the most vulnerable segment of the population.

“It’s a global reference. It was very important during the pandemic”, adds Sobral, from ACT.

For the specialist, it is also necessary to regulate the advertising and sale of ultra-processed foods in private institutions, for example. “There’s been a bill that’s been going on for 17 years to ban soft drinks at school. You can’t even ban that,” she says.

Award honors movement founder

At the end of the event, the Merula Steagall award (1966-2022), founder of Abrale (Brazilian Association of Lymphoma and Leukemia), was launched.

The honor recognizes people and projects that have an impact on the attention and care of cancer patients. Three categories will be awarded: innovative health interventions, transformative experiences and inspiring actions.

This year, special tributes were given to Fernando Maluf and Antônio Carlos Buzaid, oncologists and founders of the Instituto Vencer o Câncer; to Steagall’s family; to Luís Antonio Santini, former director of Inca, and Paula Johns, executive director of the Tobacco Control Association.

Steagall also created the All Together Against Cancer Movement. For more than a decade, she dedicated herself to promoting broad and equitable cancer care. Her actions provided advances in access to treatment and expansion of medical knowledge. A victim of complications from thalassemia, a disorder with which she had lived since she was three years old, she died in 2022, at the age of 56.