AGRI Party-list Rep. Wilbert T. Lee thinks food service establishments should display the nutritional facts of their dishes on their menus.
Thus, Lee filed House Bill (HB) 4241 or “An Act Requiring the Disclosure of Nutritional Information in Menus of Food Service Establishments” in an attempt to combat obesity, unhealthy diets, and inadequate nutrition.
“The health conscious has to estimate or guess the nutritional content of meals in restaurants. Those who are less aware of the need for proper dieting are left oblivious to the nutritional values they intake, which would potentially cause detrimental effects on their health in the long run,” Lee said in a statement on Friday, Oct. 28.
Lee cited a March 2022 survey by the Department of Science and Technology’s (DOST) Food and Nutrition Research Institute, which found that around 27 million were classified as overweight and obese.
This prompted the Department of Health (DOH), World Health Organization (WHO), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to sound the alarm on the growing obesity rate in the country.
READ: https://mb.com.ph/2022/07/17/around-27-million-filipinos-are-obese-ph-nutrition-council/
“Nakababahala ang trend na ito at hindi ito dapat ipagwalang bahala. Sa mga nag-didiet man o hindi, gusto nating makatulong sa pagpapabuti sa kalusugan ng ating mga kababayan. Sa malusog na mamamayan, mas produktibo ang lipunan (This trend is alarming and this shouldn’t be ignored. For both those who do and do not practice diets, we want to help improve the health of our citizens. Healthy citizens means a more productive society),” Lee continued.
Thus, under his measure, establishments would have to display the total number of calories, carbohydrates, protein, saturated fats, and sodium present in a specific menu item, much like the nutritional facts sheet present on pre-packaged foods.
The DOH will oversee the implementation of the bill’s provisions.
Establishments that do not comply with the provisions may face suspension, a fine of not less than P100,000 for the first violation, a fine not more than P500,000 for the second, and finally a fine not exceeding P1,000,000 for the third violation.