Mumbai Declaration leads to India’s first national No Sugar Day

India has observed its first national No Sugar Day.

Held on 1 November, the oral health promotional day, supported by the Indian Dental Federation (IDA) and the Indian government, is the direct result of the Mumbai Declaration on Sugary Drinks and Healthy Food, signed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India (MoHFW), and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

The landmark Mumbai Declaration on Sugary Drinks and Healthy Food was the outcome of FDI Dental Federation’s Vision 2030 Capacity Building Workshops held earlier this year which sought “to improve oral health in the country by tackling the sugar and tobacco epidemics.”

The aim of the first national No Sugar Day was to raise awareness of the health risks that flow from sugar consumption - these are documented on the ADA’s Teeth.org.au which provides oral health information for consumers – an initiative which organisations such as IDA and FSSAI are continuing right through the month of November.

The extensive promotional campaign is taking place over social media via the Less Sugar Advocacy campaign, targeted at both professional and members of the general public, in dental institutes across India with dental students and in schools where the focus is firmly on educating students on health eating and the existence of free sugars.

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