Unhealthy foods, non-communicable diseases and the right to health 2014, para. 29
Paragraph- Paragraph text
- The responsibility to respect the right to health requires the food industry to refrain from engaging in activities that negatively impact the right of people to the highest attainable standard of health. Where States have enacted legislation as part of national health policies to discourage consumption of unhealthy foods and promote healthier options, the food industry has the responsibility to comply with such laws and desist from undertaking activities that would undermine these policies. They should take measures to prevent, mitigate and remedy adverse impacts of their actions. For example, in light of the negative impact of food marketing and promotion activities on children's diets, the food industry has the responsibility to refrain from advertising unhealthy products to children in accordance with national laws and regulations. Failure to exercise such restraint under domestic law may amount not only to a violation of the law, but also of the right to health. Similarly, the food industry should desist from promoting false or misleading health claims about their products, consistent with their responsibility to respect the right to health. Health claims about food products have often been shown to be unverifiable and deceptive about relative health benefits. Moreover, even where unhealthy ingredients like sugar and fat content are replaced with refined starch and promoted as "healthier" food options, they are still processed foods with minor improvement in nutritional quality.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Means of adoption
- N.A.
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Food & Nutrition
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2014
- Paragraph type
- Other
- Reference
- SR Health, Report to the HRC (2014), A/HRC/26/31, para. 29.
- Paragraph number
- 29
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