DOH’s proposed nutrient profile seen to hike food production costs

MANILA, Philippines — The government’s proposed nutrient profile model may drive up food manufacturing costs and affect the country’s agricultural exports, according to the Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc. (PCAFI).

The farmers’ group said the Department of Health’s proposed nutrient profile mode contains “highly restrictive” limits for fat, salt and sugar content, which could affect food manufacturing.

 PCAFI president Danilo Fausto said that the proposed model could also drive up prices for key farm export products like dried mangoes and durian.

“The problem is they will be putting in taxes that will pull up the price,” he said in a press briefing.

The group noted that restrictive policies would strip farmers and fisherfolk of their markets, while food manufacturers could face higher reformulation costs, packaging adjustments and supply chain disruptions.

The proposed Philippine Nutrient Profile Model seeks to classify pre-packaged products based on their sugar, sodium, saturated fat, and total fat content.

The measure requires front-of-pack warning labels on packaged foods that exceed set thresholds, restricts the marketing of certain products to children and may extend to additional food taxes.

The nutrient model, developed by the National Nutrition Council, aims to curb non-communicable diseases like obesity and diabetes in Filipinos.

“This discourages manufacturers from producing, they will have to reconfigure the formulation,” Fausto added.

He said that stakeholders want an educated regulatory impact assessment of the proposed policy through public consultations.

PCAFI also called on President Marcos to reject the approval of the proposed nutrient profile model and instead establish a model in consultation with agriculture, food manufacturing, and market stakeholders.

The group argued that any future application of the nutrient model must undergo proper consultation and regulatory impact assessment to determine the implication on food affordability and economic impact.