Priyanka Jayawardena Highlights the Need for Affordable and Nutritious Beverage Alternatives for Traffic Light Labelling (TLL) to be Effective

22 July 2025

IPS Research Economist Priyanka Jayawardena was invited to be a panellist at the fifth “Front of pack labelling in South Asia – Where are we?” webinar organised by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Ms. Jayawardena shared insights from her presentation, “Traffic Light Labels: Do They Promote Healthier SSB Choices in Sri Lanka?”, focusing on how effective traffic light labelling (TLL) is in reducing the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and highlighting key policy gaps.

She highlighted that the study offers strong empirical evidence supporting the use of TLL to help consumers make more informed dietary choices. However, the impact of TLL largely depends on widespread product coverage and public awareness. Without these, its effectiveness may be limited, especially among low-income groups.

The findings also highlight the importance of ensuring affordable and nutritious beverage alternatives in the market to complement TLL and encourage healthier consumer choices.

The UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia, together with Deakin University, Australia, is hosting a seven-part webinar series on Tackling unhealthy home, school and retail food environments driving obesity in adolescents in South Asia.