Nutri Level Label: Nutrition Education That Needs Close Attention
The Indonesian Ministry of Health has recently released a new policy on the “Nutri Level” label, which will be applied to all food and beverage sales, not just factory-produced versions but also those sold in food and drink outlets.
It is a shared hope that this policy will further increase awareness of consuming food and drinks that heighten the risk of lifestyle-related diseases.
The effectiveness of Nutri-Level needs to be evaluated over time, alongside the development of public nutrition literacy.
Advertising narratives are far more enticing than health warnings. Moreover, there are justifications circulating on social media—debates mistaken for logical arguments—leading to unsubstantiated conclusions.
From the 2023 Indonesian Health Survey (SKI), concerning data shows that the habit of consuming sweet foods more than once a day is most prevalent among toddlers (50.1%), while sweet drinks more than once a day are most common among primary school-aged children aged 5-9 years (53%).
These two population groups are highly vulnerable because they are still in their growth phase and are actually unable to make their own food and drink choices, being heavily dependent on family habits and parents’ pocket money.
On the other hand, the 2023 SKI also presents data on the consumption of risky foods (sweet, salty, fatty, high-cholesterol/fried foods, grilled items, processed meats with preservatives, flavour enhancers, instant products) among the population over 3 years old—where 96.2% of the population cite consumption due to ‘tasty flavour’, 91.3% because they are easy to obtain, 79.3% because they are cheaper, and 43.3% answer “do not know the dangers and risks”.
Even if it cannot be linked as a cause-and-effect law, there is a strong correlation in communities addicted to savoury, fatty, and excessively sweet tastes, where healthy food is sidelined because ‘it doesn’t taste good’, ‘it’s not delicious’, ‘it doesn’t whet the appetite’.
Even the current young generation feels the need to add various sauces and added sugars to fruit preparations that are no longer consumed as is.
The Nutri-Level label will end up like the text and images of warnings on cigarette packaging if education and balanced eating behaviour are not carried out properly and correctly.
Proper implementation means without coercion and punishment, and correct application means in accordance with health principles and evidence-based studies from nutrition, medical, and epidemiological disciplines—not according to one-sided opinions with conflicts of interest.
In the case of cigarette consumers, the 2023 SKI records 70 million active smokers in Indonesia, with the 15-19 age group being the largest (56.5%), followed by the 10-14 age group (18.4%).
Data from the Tobacco Enforcement and Reporting Movement (TERM) edition May–August 2023 indicates that more than two-thirds of tobacco product marketing activities are uploaded on Instagram (68%), Facebook (16%), and X (14%).