Business
More than 100,000 obesity deaths ‘could be prevented with new food warnings’
More than 100,000 obesity deaths could be prevented over 20 years if firms were forced to put nutrition warning labels on the front of food packs, experts have said.
Researchers from the University of Liverpool found that warning labels for foods high in fat, salt or sugar – as implemented in several other countries – could save lives across England and cut the number of overweight people.
In 2016, Chile was the first country to bring in a mandatory nutritional warning label law – with food and drink high in fat, salt or sugar needing to display a black octagonal warning on the front of packs.
Other countries, including Mexico and Canada, have introduced similar changes.
In the UK, while it is mandatory for nutrition information to be displayed on the back of all food packaging, putting any details on the front, such as the traffic light system, is voluntary.
In the new study, published in the Lancet Regional Health – Europe, experts used modelling to see what differences mandatory warning labels could make.
Looking at the 20-year period from 2024 to 2043, mandatory implementation of traffic light labelling was estimated to reduce obesity prevalence by 2.34 percentage points.
It could also prevent or postpone 57,000 obesity-related deaths.
But mandatory implementation of nutrient warning labelling – as seen in other countries – would have a bigger effect, with a 4.44 percentage point reduction in obesity prevalence and 110,000 fewer obesity-relateddeaths.
The authors concluded that nutrient warning labels should now be considered by the Government.
Dr Rebecca Evans, corresponding author of the study, said: “Our findings suggest that mandatory nutrient warning labels could deliver substantial health benefits for the population, reducing both obesity rates and related mortality.
“These results support current government discussions about alternative labelling approaches and provide robust evidence to guide future UK food labelling policy.”
Dr Zoe Colombet, an author on the study, said: “Nutrition labels are a simple yet powerful tool.
“Making them mandatory could help people make healthier food choices and encourage the food industry to rethink what goes on our shelves, helping to prevent thousands of deaths linked to obesity”.
Amanda Daley, professor of behavioural medicine at Loughborough University, said: “We need effective public health interventions to reduce the number of deaths related to people living with obesity and mandatory warning labels on food may be one way to achieve this.
“Importantly, we need the food industry to play their part in helping people to make informed decisions about the food they purchase and consume.
“The requirement for food manufacturers in the United Kingdom to include warning labels may encourage the sector to consider more carefully the contents and portion size of food items that they sell.
“Let’s not forget, the public have the right to be fully informed about the impact of the food they consume on their health.”
Dr Jordan Beaumont, from Sheffield Hallam University, said: “Traffic light labelling is a useful tool for consumers but can be tricky to interpret in context of our wider food choices and dietary intake.
“Given we often have very little time to actually inspect labelling and make truly informed decisions when shopping for food, nutrition warning labels provide simpler and more explicit information that is quick and easy to interpret, which explains the larger impact of such information in this modelling.”
Andrea Martinez-Inchausti, assistant director of food at the British Retail Consortium, which represents retailers, said: “Retailers are fully committed to helping improve the health of their customers and have been consistent in providing advice on healthy living, including providing nutritional information on all their products.
“Supermarkets have also keenly adopted the traffic light system for nutritional information on their own products.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “This government is bringing in a modernised food nutrient scoring system to reduce childhood obesity.
“We are taking strong action to tackle the obesity crisis as part of our 10 Year Health Plan, which will shift the focus from sickness to prevention.
“We are also restricting advertising of junk food on TV and online, limiting volume price promotions on less healthy foods and introducing mandatory reporting on sales of healthy food.”
Last Updated:
CBDT sets December 31, 2025, as the last date to link PAN with Aadhaar. From January 1, 2026, unlinked PANs become inoperative, affecting tax filing and refunds.
Last date to link PAN with Aadhaar card is December 31, 2025.
PAN-Aadhaar Link Deadline: Permanent Account Number (PAN) will become inoperative for those holders who are unable to link it with their Aadhaar card from January 01, 2026, affecting the ability to file income tax returns and get refunds.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has fixed December 31, 2025, as the last day to link PAN with Aadhaar card for those who receive the cards before October 01, 2025, failing which the services will be discontinued.
Permanent Account Number (PAN) is a ten-digit alphanumeric number, issued by the Income Tax Department. PAN enables the department to link all transactions of the “person” with the department. These transactions include tax payments, TDS/TCS credits, returns of income, specified transactions, correspondence, and so on. PAN, thus, acts as an identifier for the “person” with the tax department.
The income tax department with the aim to eradicate misuse and fraud, made it mandatory for holders to link with Aadhaar card, in case they are being issued without the linking. The department had extended deadlines several times to give the enough time to holders. It has also imposed a penalty for those who fail to link PAN with Aadhaar in due time.
The services that will be affected if a person fails to link PAN with Aadhaar:
1) The person shall not be able to file return using the inoperative PAN
2) Pending returns will not be processed
3) Pending refunds cannot be issued to inoperative PANs
4) Pending proceedings as in the case of defective returns cannot be completed once the PAN is inoperative
5) Tax will be required to be deducted at a higher rate as PAN becomes inoperative
How To Link Aadhaar With Pan Card Online
Linking Aadhaar with PAN Online (Pre-Login, Without Logging In)
This method is suitable for both registered and unregistered users of the Income Tax e-Filing portal. Visit the Income Tax e-Filing Portal: Go to the official Income Tax e-Filing website: www.incometax.gov.in.
- Access the Link Aadhaar Option: On the homepage, under the Quick Links section, click on Link Aadhaar.
- Enter PAN and Aadhaar Details: Input your 10-digit PAN number and 12-digit Aadhaar number.
- Enter your name as per Aadhaar.
- Check the box “I agree to validate my Aadhaar details”.
- Click Validate.
- Pay the Penalty (if applicable): If you are linking after December 31, 2025, a pop-up may appear stating “Payment details not found”, indicating that a Rs 1,000 penalty is required.
- Click Continue to Pay Through e-Pay Tax.
- Enter your PAN, confirm the PAN, and provide your mobile number to receive an OTP.
- After OTP verification, you’ll be redirected to the e-Pay Tax page.
- Select Assessment Year as 2025-26, Type of Payment as Other Receipts (500), and Sub-type of Payment as Fee for delay in linking PAN with Aadhaar.
- The penalty amount (Rs 1,000) will be auto-filled under Others. Click Continue.
- Choose your payment method (net banking, debit card, NEFT/RTGS, or payment gateway) and complete the payment. A challan will be generated.
- Submit the Linking Request: Return to the Link Aadhaar section on the e-Filing portal.
- Re-enter your PAN, Aadhaar number, and name as per Aadhaar.
- Enter your mobile number linked to Aadhaar to receive a 6-digit OTP.
- Enter the OTP and click Validate.
How To Check Aadhaar-PAN Link Status Online
- Visit the Income Tax e-Filing Portal:
- Go to www.incometax.gov.in.
- Access the Link Aadhaar Status:
- On the homepage, under the Quick Links section, click on Link Aadhaar Status.
- Enter Details:
- Input your 10-digit PAN number and 12-digit Aadhaar number.
- Click View Link Aadhaar Status.
- Check the Result:
- Linked: You’ll see a message like, “Your PAN is already linked to the given Aadhaar.”
- Not Linked: The message will state, “PAN not linked with Aadhaar. Please click on ‘Link Aadhaar’ to link.”
- Pending: If the linking request is under process, it will say, “Your Aadhaar-PAN linking request has been sent to UIDAI for validation.”
Varun Yadav is a Sub Editor at News18 Business Digital. He writes articles on markets, personal finance, technology, and more. He completed his post-graduation diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Inst…Read More
Varun Yadav is a Sub Editor at News18 Business Digital. He writes articles on markets, personal finance, technology, and more. He completed his post-graduation diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Inst… Read More
November 05, 2025, 12:14 IST
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Online retailers Shein, Temu, AliExpress and Wish are being investigated in France in relation to the offence of enabling minors to access pornographic content on their platforms, the Paris prosecutor said on Tuesday.
The country’s consumer watchdog had reported the four firms to the prosecution service on Sunday after raising concerns about the sale of childlike sex dolls on Shein’s platform over the weekend.
The Paris prosecutor’s office told the BBC that the platforms are being investigated over violent, pornographic or “undignified messages” that can be accessed by minors.
AliExpress told the BBC it takes the matter very seriously. Shein, Temu and Wish have also been contacted for comment.
Shein and AliExpress are also under investigation over the dissemination of content related to children that are of a pornographic nature, the office said.
The cases have been referred to Paris’ Office des Mineurs, the prosecution service added. The office is an arm of the French police force that oversees the protection of minors.
AliExpress said the listings in question violated its policies and were removed once it became aware of them.
“Sellers found to violate or trying to circumvent these requirements will be penalised in accordance with our rules,” AliExpress said in a statement.
On Monday, Shein said it had banned the sale of all sex dolls on its platform worldwide. The Singapore-based retailer also said that it would permanently block all seller accounts related to the illegal sale of the childlike dolls and set stricter controls on its platform.
The French consumer watchdog, the Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control, had said the sex dolls’ description and categorisation left “little doubt as to the child pornography nature” of the products.
The scrutiny of Shein comes as the company, which was founded in China, prepares for the opening on Wednesday of its first permanent physical outlet in France.
Protesters have been seen gathered in front of the Paris department store where Shein is set to open the outlet.
Shein plans to open outlets in other French department stores in cities including Dijon, Reims and Angers.
Business
Bank Holiday Today Guru Nanak Jayanti: Are Branches Closed Or Open In Your City? Check State-Wise List
New Delhi: As per RBI holiday list, bank branches will be closed in several cities today 5 November 2025 on account of several regional festivities as well as Guru Nanak Jayanti. Branches in several states will be closed on account of Kartika Purnima/Rahas Purnima today.
List of cities where bank branches will remain closed on 5 November 2025
Bank branches will be closed for Guru Nanak Jayanti/Kartika Purnima/Rahas Purnima in different Mizoram, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Chandigarh, Uttarakhand, Telangana, Arunachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jammu & Srinagar, Uttar Pradesh, Nagaland, West Bengal, New Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Himachal Pradesh.
Holidays of the mentioned days will be observed in various regions according to the state declared holidays, however for the gazetted holidays, banks will be closed all over the country.
If you keep a track of these holidays, you would be able to plan bank transaction activities in a better way. For long weekends, you can even plan your holidays well.
PAN To Become Inoperative From Jan 1, 2026, If Not Linked With Aadhaar By Year-End
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