A new labelling law that could rate the health benefits of packaged food has been proposed as a measure in the Philippines House of Representatives.
House Bill 1139, filed by Isabela Rep. Faustino A. Dy, proposes a star rating system for packaged food products as an amendment to Republic Act No. 7394 or the Consumer Act of the Philippines. Dy said, “Most consumers don’t really take time to read what’s in the packaging and a lot of the terms are very technical.” As such, having the rating will help consumers make a faster informed decision prior to purchase.
Denya J. Uy-Anastacio from Nestle Philippines however said that studies are needed “to know the consumer’s use and understanding of food labels and (to) evaluate what kind of labeling is most effective in realizing the public health goal of the bill.”
An industry spokesperson however advised against implementing the proposed labelling as it could potentially discriminate against low-rated products. For example, if a product is rated 1-2 stars, it could lose out significantly against 3-4 star rated products.
In addition, questioned aroused on whether this new labelling will also affect product prices.
A technical working group has been created to discuss the amendments to the bill.
