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A coalition of civil society organizations urged lawmakers on Thursday to implement mandatory food warning labels, aiming to help Filipino consumers make healthier choices and address the rising rates of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the country.

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Izzy Lee

ABS-CBN News

<div></div>MANILA — A coalition of civil society organizations urged lawmakers on Thursday to implement mandatory food warning labels, aiming to help Filipino consumers make healthier choices and address the rising rates of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the country.The Healthy Philippines Alliance (HPA) stressed that clear labeling on unhealthy products is key to addressing the country’s rising prevalence NCDs.The push comes as the country observes World Food Day and the Global Week for Action on NCDs.<div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/26/23/tulfo-wants-health-rating-on-food-packaging" id="isPasted">• Tulfo wants food products to have &#x27;health rating&#x27; on packaging</a></div>According to HPA, many products are labeled as healthy and claim to provide added nutrition. However, these same ultra-processed foods often contain high amounts of sugar and salt, which are added to extend their shelf life, posing health risks to consumers.&quot;The fact na siya ay proseso, kinakailangan maglagay ng maraming asukal, maraming asin para mapreserve ang pagkain, mapahaba &#x27;yung shelf life. Pero ang kapalit nun ay tayo na mag-i-ingest ng maraming asukal na makakain natin,&quot; said HPA Representative Ma. Fatima Villena.(The fact that it is processed means it needs to contain a lot of sugar and salt to preserve the food and extend its shelf life. However, the trade-off is that we end up ingesting a lot of sugar.)They added that this could lead to NCDs such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease.<div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/2024/3/21/quezon-city-restaurants-food-businesses-required-to-show-calorie-count-on-menus-1017" id="isPasted">• Quezon City restaurants, food businesses required to show calorie count on menus</a></div>According to a study of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 74 percent of Filipino children aged 13 to 15 consume fewer than three servings of vegetables daily, while 38 percent drink at least one soft drink every day.Separate data show 7 out of 10 deaths in the country are caused by NCDs. HPA noted that current regulations in the Philippines mandate back-of-pack nutrition information and voluntary front-of-pack labels, but these are often insufficient.They added that the implementation of warning labels could lead to healthier buying habits, shifting consumer behavior towards more nutritious option.&quot;Marami sa ating consumers ‘di naman tayo nagco-compute ng serving size kung ilan ang asin per serving. Kung may warning labels na madaling Makita, ‘di na kailangan mag-compute ng isang nanay; kung hindi nakalagay na agad sa pagkain,&quot; Villena said.(Many consumers do not calculate the serving size or how much salt is in each serving. If there are easily visible warning labels, mothers won&#x27;t need to do any calculations; the information will be readily available on the packaging.)To solidify its efforts, the alliance signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with various stakeholders, pledging to advocate for stronger food labeling policies.As part of the campaign, the coalition also launched “Dapat May Babala,” including a television ad that raises public awareness about the dangers of ultra-processed foods.

A coalition of civil society organizations urged lawmakers on Thursday to implement mandatory food warning labels, aiming to help Filipino consumers make healthier choices and address the rising rates of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the country.

Mandatory food warning labels urged to address rising non-communicable diseases

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Mandatory food warning labels urged to address rising non-communicable diseases

Izzy Lee,

ABS-CBN News

Published Oct 16, 2024 05:58 PM PHT

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non-communicable diseases

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