By Kashmir Khan Vida Qalandari
KABUL (Pajhwok): The rising availability of snacks like “papar,” chips, and biscuits with appealing colorful packaging has boosted sales for shopkeepers, but health experts and the Ministry of Public Health warn that some of these foods contain chemical and artificial colors and flavor enhancers that pose long-term risks to children’s health.
In most shops around Kabul, different types of chips, “papar,” puffed snacks, and “samiyan” (local snacks) are stocked under various brand names and in colorful packets. Their spicy, sour, salty, and sweet flavors attract the attention of children.
Children fond of these snacks
Elyas, a 10-year-old from Qala-i-Fathullah in Kabul, holding a packet of “papar,” told Pajhwok Afghan News: “I really like biscuits, cake, grilled fish, chicken, chips, biryani, and these kinds of things because each has its own special taste.”
Eight-year-old Mohammad Hamza, who had purchased biscuits and “papar,” said:
“I really like biscuits, ‘papark,’ puffs, ‘samiyan,’ cakes, and chips. They taste good, everything tastes good. I buy them every day because I like the taste.”
He said that although his parents advise him not to consume such snacks, he still eats one or two packets of “papar” every day because he likes them.
Another child, Mohammad Ibrahim from Kart-i-Mamurin in Kabul, said:
“I like everything – ‘papark,’ ‘Shafa,’ biryani. I eat them every day. I spend 10 or 20 afghanis to buy them.”
Khalida, a 9-year-old girl from Taimani in Kabul, said: “I like biscuits, ‘papark,’ juice, cake – anything really. I eat chips, biryani, and Shafa snacks. They taste good. At home, they tell me not to eat them because they harm the stomach, but sometimes I listen to my mom, sometimes I just eat what I want. Every day, if I have money, I buy them.”
Children who became ill
Fazila, 11, from Kolola Pushta in Kabul, said she used to frequently consume cake, “papar,” juice, and other snacks before falling ill with stomach pain.
“I used to eat cake, ‘papark,’ juice, ‘Khandan’ (a local snack), and other stuff. My parents told me not to eat them, but I didn’t listen. I even drank soda. Then I got stomach pain and had to be taken to the doctor.”
According to Fazila, her stomach pain was caused by eating those snacks. Now that she has stopped eating them, her health has improved.
Similarly, 10-year-old Hadisa from Qala-e-Zaman Khan in Kabul said: “I used to love chocolate cakes, ‘papark,’ chicken biryani, ‘bolani,’ chips (Lays and Mana brands), Arabic pilaf, and ‘Salenti’ snacks. I especially liked the spicy ones. But this year they made me very sick – I got a sore throat. The doctor told me to stop eating them. I stopped and thankfully, I got better.”
Children who listen to their parents ‘advice
Subhanullah, 6, said: “I don’t eat snacks from the market. I listen to my mom and dad. I only buy and eat biscuits.”
Madina, 7, from Kolola Pushta, said: “I like to eat everything, but at home they say, ‘Don’t eat, you’ll get sick’… so I don’t eat them.”
Yusra, 9, from Kunduz province, said: “I like ‘papark,’ biscuits, cake, and soda – anything really. But my parents tell me not to eat them because I’ll get sick. I listen to my mom and don’t eat them.”
Shopkeepers
Mohammad Tahir, a shopkeeper near Tajwar Sultana High School in Kabul, said he was running a shop in the area for the last 10 years, and most of his customers were children buying chips, biscuits, cake, puffed snacks, and soda.
He added that in the past, these snacks were mostly imported from neighboring countries, but now many were produced domestically.
Another shopkeeper, Mohammad Ayaz in Taimani, said his store carried a wide variety of biscuits, “papar,” chips, cocoa-based snacks, cakes, and sodas. He earns about 1,000 afghanis daily from selling them.
Similarly, Noor Ali, a shopkeeper on 2nd Street of the Taimani Project in Kabul, said children mostly prefer “papar,” chips, juice, cake, “Khandan,” Arabic pilaf, chicken-flavored snacks, various “kaku” (sponge cakes), and soda. His daily income from these sales is around 3,000 afghanis.
Health experts’ concerns
Dr. Lamer Jawid, a pediatric specialist at the French Medical Institute for Mothers and Children in Kabul, told Pajhwok that snacks like chips and “papar” contain food dyes, sugars, and fats that are harmful to children’s health. Due to their strong and tangy flavors, children can become addicted to them.
He added that such snacks not only cause obesity, tooth decay, and hinder brain development, but in the long run, can also lead to heart disease, indigestion, stomach issues, and diabetes.
“Right now, we have five to ten patients who developed chronic illnesses from consuming foods like juice, ‘papar,’ chips, and puffs,” he said.
He mentioned a child admitted to the hospital who was addicted to commercial juices, drinking three cans in 24 hours and refusing any other food. The child developed malnutrition as a result.
He recommended that families prepare a variety of snacks and juices at home, which not only prevent illness but also contribute to the child’s development.
Nutritionist Dr. Mohammad Humayun Ludin said: “Puffs and other colorful snacks on the market contain substances that suppress appetite in children, making them malnourished and anemic.”
He said these products contain artificial dyes and trans fats, which are hard to digest and absorb, posing serious health risks. He labeled these snacks as addictive and added: “It’s better if our children avoid market foods with unknown preservatives, oils, and colors.”
He also noted that many of these items are stored for months in unsanitary conditions, allowing harmful bacteria to grow.
Ashrafullah Shafaq, Head of Food Surveillance Analysis at the Ministry of Public Health’s Food and Drug Directorate, said that many food products sold in markets, shops, and even on the streets in colorful packaging are of very poor quality and often used by children and adolescents. They contain substances with no nutritional value and artificial dyes that can cause cancer and chronic diseases.
He advised people to consume high-quality food products, suggesting fresh fruits instead of commercial sodas.
“We go to schools in Kabul and districts with the Ministry of Education to raise awareness among students about the harms of snacks like puffs, chips, jelly, and various sweets. These low-quality products seriously affect students’ learning and development,” he said.
He added: “We’ve requested a list from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce of all imported food products. For those deemed low quality and harmful, we’ve asked that they should not be allowed into the country.”
He explained that some substandard sweets are imported from neighboring countries and contain substances not fit for consumption. Laboratory testing has shown they should not be used at all due to the presence of industrial dyes.
To prevent the import of harmful snacks, the ministry has held educational workshops urging investors not to finance the production of such items.
Shafaq noted that while some factories produce high-quality snacks, many low-quality items are made in residential homes:
“It’s very difficult for us to control this, but we are trying to track them down.”
He urged families to stop their children from buying carbonated sodas, unregulated sweets, and unhealthy snacks to prevent various diseases.
He emphasized that combating the production and import of substandard food products, which can lead to health issues, requires coordinated action from all relevant agencies.
Shafaq also referenced a new law signed last week by the Islamic Emirate’s leader to prevent the smuggling of food, medicine, and health products. This law will help block the entry of substandard and illegal food and drug products into the country.
Dr. Zabihullah Shams from the Nutrition Department at the Ministry of Public Health said that eating unhealthy food leads to digestive issues in children, creating a false sense of fullness. This causes weight loss and results in acute malnutrition.
He urged families to provide their children with healthy nutrition and to never waste their money on unhealthy foods like “puff,” chips, and “papar.”