Senate Office of the Secretary TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES JAN 15 P12:49 First Regular Session SENATE S. No. 1668 Introduced by Senator Raffy T. Tulfo AN ACT MANDATING THE USE OF A HEALTH RATING SYSTEM ON THE LABELS OF PACKAGED FOOD PRODUCTS EXPLANATORY NOTE Having good nutrition can lower the risk of disease and improve quality of life. Adequate nutrition, especially during childhood, is important to a child's proper growth and development. Based on the survey of the Department of Science and Technology - Food and Nutrition Research Institute, around 27 million Filipinos are now overweight or obese. Over the past two decades, the rate among adults nearly doubled, from 20.2% in 1998 to 36.6% in 2019, while cases among adolescents more than doubled from 4.9% in 2003 to 11.6% in 2018.1 On the other hand, there is also an existence of malnutrition among Filipino children due poor diets and inadequate nutrition. Today, eating away from home has become a common part of daily life for many Filipinos. Fast food and take-out meals are often high in calories, saturated fat, sodium, and added sugar, contributing to weight gain, obesity, and related metabolic health risks. Thus, the purpose of this bill aims to mandate the use of a Health Rating System on labels of packaged food products, in addition to the standard nutritional facts label. The Health Rating System will be calculated based on the food's nutritive value, which includes the total energy or kilocalories (kcal), saturated fat, sodium, sugar content, and fiber. 1 https://www.unicef.org/philippines/press-releases/everybody-needs-act-curb-obesity
Furthermore, this bill seeks to efficiently provide Filipinos with convenient, relevant, and comprehensible necessary information on the nutritional content of the food they choose to consume on a daily basis and promote healthier eating choices. It is for this purpose that the approval of this bill is earnestly sought. RAFFY T. TULFO
Senate ‹Office of the Setectary TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 26 JAN 15 P12:49 REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES First Regular Session RECEIVED BY: S. No. _ SSNON AT 5668 Introduced by Senator Raffy T. Tulfo AN ACT MANDATING THE USE OF A HEALTH RATING SYSTEM ON THE LABELS OF PACKAGED FOOD PRODUCTS Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines, in Congress assembled:
Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Health Rating Label Act."
Sec 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the State to ensure
the health and well-being of its people; by providing them an easier way to compare the nutritional value of similarly packaged food products through the use of a health rating 5 system, in addition to the standard nutritional facts label.
Sec 3. Definition of Terms. - For the purposes of this Act, the following terms shall
be defined as follows: a. Condiments are supplemental food that is mostly added to dishes after serving in order to enhance or compliment their flavor. b. Fiber refers to a substance in certain foods, like fruit, vegetables, and brown bread, that is not digested by the body but passes relatively intact in a person's stomach. It is also best known for its ability to prevent or relieve constipation. c. Health Rating System refers to a front-of-pack labeling system that measures the overall nutritional profile of packaged food products. d. Importer refers to any establishment that brings packaged food products into the Philippines for sale, distribution, or marketing.
e. Kilocalories (kcal) refers to the metric term for calorie, it is the measurement of the energy people get from the food and drinks they have consumed. f. Non-nutritive foods refer to beverages like coffee and tea and indirect food additives such as noncaloric sweeteners. g. Packaged Food Products refer to products frequently purchased by consumers that are enclosed in a small parcel that is commercially prepared for ease of consumption. These products include ready-to-eat food items such as snacks, beverages, chips, and many more. h. Saturated Fat refers to a type of fat containing a high proportion of fatty acid molecules without double bonds, they are considered to be less healthy in the diet. They are found in animal food products and a number of plant oils like palm and coconut oil. i. Sodium is a food ingredient used as a preservative, in curing meat, baking, retaining moisture, and enhancing flavor. j. Sugar refers to simple carbohydrates that provide calories for a person's body to use as energy. There are two types of sugar, first is natural sugar which is in whole and unprocessed foods like fruits; while added sugar is found in processed food and drinks.
Sec 4. Coverage. - All packaged food products sold, offered for sale, distributed,
marketed, or otherwise made available to consumers within the Philippines, whether manufactured locally or imported into the Philippines, including those sold through physical retail establishments, online stores, electronic marketplaces, mobile applications, social media platforms, or other digital sales channels, shall implement the Health Rating System, except the following: (1) Fresh unpacked food; (2) Condiments; (3) Non-nutritive foods; (4) Single-ingredient foods not intended to be eaten on their own; (5) Alcoholic beverages;
(6) Formulated products for infants and young children; and (7) Food for special medical purposes
Sec 5. Health Rating System for Packaged Food. - The Health Rating System
measures the overall nutritional profile of packaged food products from one (1) (the least nutritious to five (5) (the most nutritious). This rating system is calculated based on the following: (1) Total Energy or Kilocalories; (2) Saturated Fat; (3) Sodium; (4) Sugar Content; and (5) Fiber
Sec 6. Labelling. - The Health Rating System will be placed at the front of the
packaged food product. In addition to this, the packaged food product's nutrient content will be shown below or beside the Health Rating, and shall include its energy content (kilocalories), saturated fat, sodium content, and total sugar content per 100 grams, per 100 milliliters for liquid products, or per pack for single-serve foods. The nutrient content shall likewise indicate whether the packaged food product is high or low in saturated fat, sodium, or fiber.
Sec 7. Approval. - The manufacturer or importer of packaged food products shall
calculate the Health Rating of their products and submit the same to the FDA for approval. No packaged food product, whether locally manufactured or imported, shall be sold or distributed in the Philippines unless the approved Health Rating System is properly displayed in accordance with this Act.
Sec 8. Regulating Authority. - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shall serve
as the regulating body to oversee the implementation of this Act. Furthermore, the Department of Health (DOH) shall create an oversight committee that is responsible for ensuring a consistent approach to the effective implementation of the Health Rating 28 System.
Sec 9. Penalties for Noncompliance. - Any manufacturer or importer of packaged
food products who fails to comply with any provision of this Act, including the failure to display the required Health Rating System, shall be subject to the following penalties: (a) First Offense - A written warning issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA); (b) Second Offense - A fine of Fifty Thousand Pesos (P50,000.00) per day of violation; (c) Third Offense - Suspension or revocation of the License to Operate (LTO), product registration, or authorization to sell or distribute the product in the Philippines.
Sec. 10. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The FDA, in coordination with the
DOH, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and other concerned agencies, shall 13 promulgate the rules and regulations necessary for the effective implementation of this 14 Act.
Sec. 11. Separability Clause. - If any provision of this Act is subsequently declared
invalid or unconstitutional, the other provisions hereof which are not affected thereby shall remain in full force and effect.
Sec. 12. Repealing Clause. - All other laws, executive orders, rules and regulations,
or parts thereof inconsistent with any provisions hereof are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
Sec. 13. Effectivity clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in two (2) national newspapers of general circulation. Approved,