THE ARISING · Longevity & Healthspan
WHO Drafts Global Model to Flag Packaged Foods to Eat in Moderation
A packaged food could soon be flagged as one to eat in moderation for either of two reasons: it carries too much saturated fat, trans fat, sugar or sodium, or it contains flavours, colours or sweeteners.
That is the core of a draft model the World Health Organization opened for public comment on 2 November 2026. The model is meant to give governments one consistent way to decide which industrially produced, pre-packaged foods fall within the scope of rules on how foods are labelled, marketed, taxed and bought.
The draft combines two tests. The first uses nutrient criteria for saturated fatty acids, trans-fatty acids, sugars and sodium, derived from WHO recommendations. The second looks for specified ingredients used mainly for sensory purposes: flavours, colours and sweeteners.
A product is identified if it exceeds one or more of the nutrient criteria. It is also identified if it contains one or more of the specified ingredients. Either route is enough.
According to WHO, listing flavours, colours and sweeteners does not mean these ingredients are unsafe. The agency says they help identify products formulated to increase appeal and consumption.
For shoppers, the practical question is what ends up on the shelf and on the pack. WHO says governments can use regulatory measures such as front-of-pack labelling, restrictions on food marketing, fiscal measures, and public food procurement and service policies. Products the model identifies may fall within the scope of such measures, which aim to reduce preference, demand and consumption.
WHO frames the problem as one of consistency. According to the agency, a persistent challenge is deciding, transparently and consistently, which foods fall within these measures. The draft consolidates more than two decades of WHO work, including nutrient recommendations, regional nutrient profile models, global sodium benchmarks and recommendations to eliminate trans-fatty acids.
The draft also covers how to move from classification to regulation. It addresses aligning national labelling requirements with the information the model needs, regulatory coherence and legal alignment, and identification, monitoring and governance. WHO is asking in particular whether the model works across diverse food systems, including what can be drawn from nutrition declarations and ingredient lists.
The model is a draft, and WHO will review all comments before finalizing the publication.
Comments are open until 23:59 CET on Friday, 27 November 2026, through an online form, and commenters must submit a signed declaration of interest. What to watch next: how WHO revises the criteria and application guidance after the consultation closes, and whether countries adopt the final model for their own labels.