Hontiveros pushes bill mandating placement of food warning labels
by Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco, https://www.facebook.com/, https://www.facebook.com/BusinessMirror/ · BusinessMirror- Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco
- November 7, 2024
- 3 minute read
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) stated that 99 percent of social media posts advertising food in the Philippines promote “unhealthy” food.
Studies have shown that high exposure to the marketing of unhealthy food increases children’s brand preferences. This, in turn, drives the children’s purchases and consumption of unhealthy foods, contributing to poor dietary habits and increasing the risk of developing health problems later on in life.
With this, Sen. Risa Hontiveros called on the public to support Senate Bill No. 2700, the “Healthy Food Marketing Environment Act,” which mandates food warning labels and marketing restrictions in a bid to protect children’s health.
“Ngayong ipinagdiriwang natin ang National Children’s Month, sana po ay maging katuwang kayo sa ating kampanya na ipasa ang [Since we are celebrating National Children’s Month, I hope you can all be our partner in the campaign to pass] the Healthy [Food] Marketing Environment Act,” Hontiveros said.
The bill aims to protect children from obesity and related diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, and certain cancers, by informing consumers if a food product may be harmful to their health.
Responsible marketing
It also promotes responsible marketing to children by limiting advertisements of food and beverages that may be harmful to children’s health.
“Iminumungkahi ng panukalang ito na lagyan ng front-of-pack warning label ang mga produkto para agad na nakikita kung ang isang produkto ay lagpas sa itinakdang threshold ng energy, fat, salt, o sugar [This law proposes the placing of front-of-pack warning labels on products so that it is immediately visible if a product exceeds a set threshold of energy, fat, salt, or sugar],” Hontiveros added.
Law group ImagineLaw welcomed the health policy measure.
“If we want Filipino children to choose healthy, we have to build an environment that makes choosing healthy easy,” said Atty. Sophia San Luis, executive director of ImagineLaw.
If enacted, children and consumers will be able to see which products exceed recommended thresholds for fat, sugar, and salt as the law requires food manufacturers to add clear nutritional warning labels on the front of a product’s packaging.
Additionally, children will see less marketing of potentially harmful products as the policy regulates the marketing of products with a warning label in public and online spaces, child-centered settings such as schools, and on TV and radio.
“Isininusulong din nito na i-regulate ang marketing sa iba’t ibang media channels at sa mga lugar na madalas pinupuntahan ng mga bata, para mabawasan ang exposure ng ating mga anak sa mga pagkain at inuming hindi nakakabuti sa kanilang kalusugan [It also promotes regulating marketing in various media channels and in places frequented by children in order to reduce the exposure of our children to foods and drinks that are not good for their health], “ she stressed, citing global success of such law in other countries.
Evidence from Chile shows that the law on food labeling and advertising decreased household consumption of beverages that have “high-in” warning labels by up to 23.7 percent.
Decrease in advertising seen
Additionally, similar regulations addressing unhealthy food marketing on television have significantly decreased children’s exposure to such advertising.
Meanwhile, in Uruguay, the implementation of the food warning labeling policy increased citizens’ ability to understand nutritional information.
Building on the success of similar policies, the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) is working toward adopting food warning labeling regulations.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom, having already enacted comprehensive food marketing restrictions, is now aiming to implement stricter provisions.
In the House of Representatives, a counterpart bill, House Bill No. 9819, along with similar measures HB No. 10886, HB No. 10198, HB No. 10674, and HB No. 10361, were filed by Representatives Reynolds Michael Tan, Steve Solon, Maria Rachel Arenas, Samantha Santos, Alfred Delos Santos, and Patrick Michael Vargas, respectively. Representatives Steve Solon and Salvador Pleyto also co-authored the proposed law.
“Bilang nanay, isang batas ito na malapit sa puso ko lalo pa at may anak akong immunocompromised…I am sure na kapag ang diet ng ating mga anak ay mas malusog at balanse, mas malakas nilang mahaharap ang anumang hamon ng buhay [As a mother, this is a law that is close to my heart especially since I have an immunocompromised child…I am sure that when our children’s diet is healthier and balanced, they will be stronger to face any challenge in life],” Hontiveros said.
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Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco
Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco is a grant recipient and fellow of 2017 media fellowship program by Probe Media Foundation Inc. She is a graduate of Bachelor of Mass Communication from the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM). After graduating in 2000 she immediately worked as a newspaper correspondent for Today Newspaper until 2005. Within those five years in Today Newspaper, she was assigned to cover the Eastern Police and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), Rizal Province, and the Departments of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and Tourism (DOT). In October of 2005, she became a correspondent for the Philippine Business Daily Mirror Publishing, Inc. She covers Health, Education, MMDA, the local government units in the eastern and southern portions of the metropolis, and Rizal Province.
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