QUEZON CITY – Health advocates and legal experts on Friday (Nov. 8) urged for the immediate adoption of food warning labels, calling them a critical step to protect children from the rampant increase of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in the Philippines.
Coinciding with the National Children’s Month, spearheaded by the Healthy Philippines Alliance (HPA), HealthJustice Philippines, and Imagine Law, resource speakers stressed that current nutrition labels are insufficient to protect Filipinos and “our youth from the hidden dangers of ultra-processed foods.”
“Our current nutrition labels fall short,” Dr. Jaime Galvez Tan, former Health Secretary and Lead Convenor of the HPA, said.
“With ultra-processed foods high in sugar, sodium, and unhealthy fats proliferating the market at an alarming rate, we must recognize that the system is failing. We need bold and immediate action to protect Filipino families, especially our children, from the consequences of unhealthy food choices such as obesity and a greater risk for earlier onset of NCDs like heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes,” Dr. Tan added.
During the event, nutritionists utilized an “unhealthy food exhibit” (visual exhibit) to divulge the true sodium, sugar and fat hidden in popular food and beverages commonly-consumed by Filipinos side-by-side with their true sodium, sugar, and fat content.
Of primordial concern for health advocates is that many of such products are often branded as healthy and suitable for children.
“A parent may allow their child to finish more than one serving of cow’s milk or soya milk thinking they are a healthy food choice without knowing the latter contains the sugar equivalent of an artificially flavored, sweetened juice drink,” Dr. Tan said.
“These are some of the hidden dangers the public is not aware of, and it’s putting our children’s health and lives at risk. The state of our diets is not an accident, nor is it a product of individual choices. It’s by design,” he added.
Beverly Samson, project manager of HealthJustice Philippines and HPA, noted that the HPA is an alliance of health advocates which was established way back in 2018.
“We serve as the convenor of the alliance. HealthJustice is pushing for public healthcare law and now food warning labels. Also, part of the group is the ImagineLaw,” Samson said.
She stressed that noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) is a “growing problem”. Many of the NCDs are related to ultra-processed food products.
“Definitely, we need some form of food regulation,” she said.
“Ito pong ating initiative, several groups po are here. We are proud to share with you our mass media campaign. We are influencing food policy with public opinion,” she added.
In a video message, Senator Risa Hontiveros said that she has been a long-time health advocate.
Hontiveros has been pushing for Healthcare Law, Mental Health Act, and Cheaper Medicines Act, for the healthy threshold to sugar, fat in order to eliminate obesity, fat and cholesterol from children.
“Now that we are celebrating the ‘National Children’s Month’, may you be our partner in pushing for the passage of the ‘Healthy Food Marketing Environment Act,’” Hontiveros said.
Atty. Laurence Mikhail Millan, project manager of ImagineLaw, facilitated the Nutrition Facts Works, which was actively participated in by the members of the media.
Regardless of brand, the products presented were rich in high saturated fats, oats is high in sugar, which is concerning but being marketed as healthy option; cream-filled biscuits are high in sodium, saturated fats and sugar. Powdered juice is rich in sugar and sodium, which may aggravate hypertension. Bottled soy milk drink is actually high in sugar and total fats as well.
Generic cheese bread is high in saturated fats, sugar, sodium, saturated fats and total fats which poses high risk of NCDs.
It was noted that the “nutrient (nutrition) facts” is minimal such that there should be a law strictly implementing or mandating the nutritional facts label (warning labels) on products such that consumers are relying too much on what the manufacturers are advertising.
The DTI, DOH and the FDA are government agencies responsible for the dissemination of information pertaining to health facts, nutrition facts and dietary facts for consumer food products.
There are now several pending bills in the 19th Congress seeking for the healthy warning labels on consumer food products.
Rey Abacan, Jr., member of the Philippine Alliance of Patient Organizations and founder of Dialysis-PH Support Group, has been diagnosed with Kidney problem in 2010, and has been advocating since then to be aware of health risks posed by ultra-processed food products, especially to children.
Abacan presented a TV commercial about food warning labels such as high in saturated fats, sugar, sodium, saturated fats and total fats.
During the roundtable discussion, it was highlighted that in promoting health diet and good nutrition, there will be less risk of NCDs, especially in children.
20 years old, obesity is also rising in the Philippines, which is one of the risk factors, food warning label is very significant so that those with no time read, will have an easy access on health warning as indicated in the front label.
Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes surfaces at the age of 30 years and above, but the obesity problem in the Philippines is increasing even in the 10 years old.
Lifestyle management, healthy eating to prevent Diabetes complication such that if you have Diabetes it will be a life-long health problems.
Dr. Jimmy Tan said that aside from coronary heart disease, high blood, even 18 years old are now having heart problem, noting the laws on food warning.
“Unlike before, I’m seeing old people with health problems, but now they are getting younger and younger,” Dr. Tan said.
Dr. Tan is advocating for eating healthy vegetables, fruits. “The Black Octagon label is now popular with consumers such as noodles which should be eaten once only a day and not more than that.”
He recalled that when he was Health Secretary in 2010, Kidney problem was not even including in the Top 10 Diseases in the Philippines, but now Kidney problem is included in the Top 10 Diseases in the country.
Dr. Tan advised that 3-in-1 coffee should be taken only in moderation or once a day for healthy living.
“Good food is good health. A good example is the warning label on tobacco products,” he said.
Dr. Tan noted that it started as in taxation of tobacco products such as in sin taxes, and the awareness campaign on the health dangers of smoking or tobacco products followed suit.
Dr. Tan expressed the hope that “in 10 years, bababa na yung coronary heart disease, hypertension, and the rest of the Top 10 Diseases.”
“Give food warning label a chance to be heard, seen for greater awareness and healthy behavior,” he stressed.
Dr. Tan admitted that what he really wants is to assist the farmers in planting fruits and vegetables to be readily available in the table of Filipino families.
Atty. Millan cited that in Peru, 28 percent of the warning labels of consumer food products were reformulated which capacitated the consumer to have a wiser choice on food products.
“Warning label is changing consumer behavior,” he said.
Millan said that the warning labels on food products should also be accessible to children in order for them to have a wiser choice.
“There’s no such thing as a ‘silver bullet’ or a one-shot deal. Front Pack Warning Label is just the beginning,” he said.
Jofti Villena, of the Policy Center, said that they are pushing that label of food products should be easily seen in front of the products making it easier for consumers.
The warning labels with the DOH seal on it is adding credibility to the food products such that it is not only mandated.
The panelists urged for the passage of the “Front of Package Label Bill (Front of Pack Warning Label)”, which should not include other endorsements, to have a chance to have a better choice on healthier food thereby making the new generation value “good food”.
