Color Code System Is implementing on Sweet Products Including Biscuits To Minimize The Spreading Of NCD's In The Country-Dr.Lakshman Gamlath

The Color Code system known as Traffic Light system will be implemented on solid and half solid Sweet products including Biscuits to display sugar,fat and salt content in those products in view of  minimizing  the spreading of Non Communicable Diseases(NCD's) including Heart Diseases and Cancers in the country according to Deputy Director General Of Health Services (Food Control) Dr.Lakshman Gamlath .

Addressing a press briefing held Information Department in Narahenpita this morning (17) Dr.Gamlath has stressed that accordance to the Color Code System Red Circle will be used to display if the sugar content is more than 22 grammes per 100 grammes of the product ,salt content is more than 1.25 grammes per 100 grammes of the product and Fat content is  more than 17.5 grammes per 100 Grammes of the product .

If the sugar content is 8 to 22 grammes per 100 Grammes ,Salt Content is 0.25 to 1.25 Grammes  per 100 Grammes and Fat content is 3 to 17.5 Grammes per 100 Grammes Yellow circle will be used on the wrapper of the product to indicate the medium content levels and green circle will be used to indicate low sugar ,salt and fat levels including Sugar content is below 8 grammes ,less than 0.25 grammes of Salt and less then 3 grammes of fat per 100 grammes of the product.

However this Color code system is not implemented on vegetables ,fruits ,liquid milk ,food items packed in small packs ,Tea,Coffee,Water bottles,Infant Milk Powder ,Large Packs containing food and the food items recommended by the doctors Dr.Gamlath has stated.

Minister Dr.Rajitah Senaratne has said that when the Color code system has been implemented on Soft drinks in 2016 not much publicity given prior to the implementation,However accordance to a survey carried out in 2018 it shows  around 58 percent of the school children have been aware on the system and 38 percent of School Children have paid attention towards the system  .