PHL FDA to expand front-of-pack labeling requirement for food items

Health authorities will soon expand the requirements for front-of-pack (FOP) labeling of food items to help consumers make healthy choices.

 

Food and Drug Administration head Kenneth Hartigan-Go disclosed this in Advisory 2013-038, where he said the labeling may soon cover sugar, sodium and fats.

 

"In order to continuously empower the consumers to make healthy food choices, the FDA will soon expand the voluntary FOP labeling requirement to cover sugar, sodium and fats," he said.

 

The FDA also urged all food manufacturers, traders or distributors to revise their labels and labeling materials to reflect the FOP label for energy or calories following FDA Circular No. 2012-015.

 

Hartigan-Go said the FOP labels are to be part of the food processors' educational and advertising campaign materials.

 

According to Hartigan-Go, helping consumers make informed choices on the amount of calories or energy, sugar, sodium, and fats can help in reducing diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

 

Such NCDs particularly affect people in urban areas, especially children and adolescents, he noted.

 

"Obesity among children, acquired diabetes, juvenile hypertension, among other NCDs, are partly attributed to asymmetry of information and massive advertisement of processed food products. Consumers, especially children and adolescents, can improve their dietary habits by making correct food choices," he said.

 

He said understanding the front-of-pack (FOP) labels of processed food products the FDA is implementing can facilitate correct choices.

 

FDA circular

 

On Dec. 13 last year, the FDA issued Circular No. 2012-015 to guide food processors and manufacturers in voluntarily printing the calorie content of processed food products.

 

This is aside from the "Nutrition Facts" printed at the side or back information panel of food labels.

 

"Knowing the nutrient content relative to size per serving, the consumers are able to make healthy choices. It helps reduce receptivity and vulnerability of consumers to messages that lead to unhealthy dietary choices," he said.

 

Hartigan-Go said the FOP declaration will be on the lower right hand portion of the principal display panels "in a cylindrical shape with a white color background."

 

Inside the cylindrical-shaped graphics will be the statement, "Each amount in grams serving contains the number of calories or energy, and the percentage of the calories or energy value based on RENI (Recommended Energy and Nutrient Intake)."

 

"With this, the consumer is able to decide how much should be consumed. The package serving size informs a consumer how much is nutrient content of a processed food, but it will not tell him or her how much to eat. Deciding on how much of a particular food should be eaten is based on RENI, taking into account the age, the body weight and the type of activities or work," he said.  — ELR, GMA News