Unbearable heaviness of unhealthy diets

The Ministry of Health says all prepackaged food sold in China must carry nutrition labels from Jan 1, 2013. The compulsory labels should indicate the volume of protein, fat, carbohydrate and sodium the foods contain, as well as its energy value. The authority said the aim is to encourage consumers to balance their nutrition intake and reduce their risk of getting chronic diseases.

As Su Zhi, a senior official from the Ministry of Health said at a news conference: "China faces a severe situation of chronic non-communicable diseases and information on the packages will help consumers avoid the intake of unhealthy elements, such as saturated fat and cholesterol, and increase the ingestion of dietary fibres."

Research has proved that compulsory nutrition labels effectively raise consumers' awareness of healthy eating.