MANILA — Sen. Raffy Tulfo has filed a bill seeking to mandate the use of a "health rating system" on the labels of packaged food products, on top of the standard "nutritional facts."

Under Senate Bill No. 1684, the packaging of food products should be marked with ratings of 1 (as least nutritious) to 5 (most nutritious).

The rating system is calculated based on the total energy or kilojoules, saturated fat, sodium, sugar content, and fiber.

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The food rating will be placed at the front of the packaged food product.

All packaged food products sold in shops like grocery stores are covered by the proposed law, except for the following:

• Fresh unpacked food
• Condiments
• Non-nutritive foods
• Single-ingredient foods not intended to be eaten on their own
• Alcoholic beverages
• Formulated products for infants and young children
• Food for special medical purposes

Tulfo said the use of a rating system on labels of packaged food products would allow Filipinos to have a better knowledge of the food they eat.

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Last year, Tulfo confronted the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) at a hearing over the supposedly unhealthy level of sodium in instant noodles sold in the Philippines.

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