.' 
FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
) 
) 
:0 
,JUL 21 !'/ '52 
SENAlE. 
S.No. 
~'/96 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article 13, Section 12, provides: 
The State shall establish and maintain an effective food and drug 
regulatory 
system 
and 
undertake 
appropriate 
health 
manpower 
development and research, responsive to the country's health needs and 
problems. 
,0".., 
Consumers are presented with all kinds of descriptions when it comes to the food 
products that they purchase. Producers claim their products to be fresh, pure or natural. 
Some information are accurate while some are misleading. There is a need to create a 
standard language to be used in the description of food products. This bill seeks to assist 
, 
, . 
manufacturers, producers, retailers and caterers in deciding when these descriptions may 
be used and when they should not. It will help the consumers make an informed choice 
when purchasing food products.! 
l~,-
4l;!-;·.4~ : D/;t;aJi 
~. MIRIAM DEF~~SOR sA'%TILfiU 
I This bill was originally filed in the third regular session of the 14"' Congress, 


, . 
'~r~ ;;,,':f.r 
FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
Or:F~t:t: 0;: 'j. t 
~>F'f·f1t7 1/H"f't 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENLl.T~ 
S.No. 1'/96 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
2 
REGULATING THE USE OF DESCRIPTIVE TERMS IN FOOD PRODUCTS 
---
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
3 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be referred to as the "Food Product 
4 
Standard Description Act." 
5 
SECTION 2. Criteria for the use of the term "Pure. " - The term "pure" is mostly 
6 
used on single ingredient foods (e.g. to indicate a single, named variety of rice) or to 
7 
highlight the quality of ingredients of a food (e.g. "pure butter shortbread" to indicate the 
8 
butter has not been blended with other fats). The validity of the use of the term "pure" 
9 
should be determined by the properties of the food itself, not its storage conditions The 
10 
term "pure" should generally only be used in the following circumstances (however it 
11 
would be acceptable and advantageous to warn of possible cross contamination with 
12 
allergens, in which case this type of warning would be entirely voluntary): 
. 
. 
(a) 
To describe a single ingredient food to which nothing has been added and 
14 
that is free from avoidable contamination with similar foods; 
15 
(b) 
Compound foods should not generally be described, directly or by 
16 
implication, as "pure." It is, however, acceptable to describe such foods as "made with 
17 
pure ingredients" if all the ingredients meet the criteria above, or if a claimed, named 
18 
ingredient meets these criteria and is the only source of that ingredient. There are two 
19 
exceptions to this general rule: 
20 
(1) "pure" is used only for non-sweetened fruit juice but may be used for 
21 
concentrated juice reconstituted with water. Legislation permits the 


addition of sugar for sweetness. It also pennits the addition of sugar or 
2 
lemon juice to correct acidic taste and the use of ascorbic acid as an 
3 
antioxidant during processing of fruit juices. The tenn "pure" should not 
4 
be used on those products containing added sugar, lemon juice or ascorbic 
5 
acid. 
6 
(2) the tenn "pure fruit" is used to indicate that the fruit has not been 
7 
preserved by sulphur dioxide, prior to use in the jamlmannalade. This 
8 
usage is acceptable. 
9 
(c) 
"Pure" should not be included in any brand or fancy names, nor in coined 
10 
or meaningless phrases, in such a way as to imply that a food that does not meet the 
11 
criteria above is pure or made from pure ingredients. 
12 
(d) 
"Pure" meaning no more than plain or un flavoured should not be used 
13 
except where the food in question meets all the criteria above for the use of "pure". 
14 
SECTION 3. Criteria for the use of the term "Fresh." - (a) The tenns "fresh" or 
15 
"freshly" should only be used where they have a clear meaning, whether used alone or 
16 
qualified by other terms. The description can help consumers differentiate between 
17 
similar products. 
18 
(b) Expressions such as "freshly cooked", "freshly prepared", "freshly baked", 
19 
"freshly picked" should have no other connotation than the immediacy of the action 
, 
20 
being described. Where such expressions are used, it is recommended they be 
21 
accompanied by an indication (e.g. of the date or time or period - "freshly prepared this. 
22 
morning") of when the action being described took place. 
23 
(c) Packaging, storage and other supply chain processes that control "freshness" 
24 
should not be described in tenns that may imply that only a short period after harvesting 
25 
or preparation has elapsed before sale if this is not the case. For example, a food that has 
26 
been vacuum packed to retain its freshness should not be described as "freshly packed." 
27 
SECTION 4. Criteria for the use of the term "Natural." - "Natural" means 
• 
28 
essentially that the product is comprised of natural ingredients, e.g. ingredients produced 
2 


.-
by nature, not the work of man or interfered with by man. It is misleading to use the term 
2 
to describe foods or ingredients that employ chemicals to change their composition or 
3 
comprise the products of new technologies, including additives and flavorings that are the 
4 
product of the chemical industry or extracted by chemical processes. The term "natural" 
5 
without qualification should be used only in the following cases: 
6 
(a) 
To describe single foods, of a traditional nature, to which nothing has been 
7 
added and which have been sUbjected only to such processing as to render them suitable 
8 
for human consumption; 
9 
(b) To describe food ingredients obtained from recognized food sources and 
which meet the criteria in (a); 
10 
11 
(c) 
To describe permitted food additives that are obtained from natural 
12 
sonrces (e.g. food or plant) by appropriate physical processing (including distillation and 
13 
solvent extraction) or traditional food preparation processes; 
14 
(d) 
Compound foods (i.e. foods made from more than one ingredient) should 
15 
not themselves be described directly or by implication as "natural," but it is acceptable to 
16 
describe such foods as "made from natural ingredients" if all the ingredients meet the 
17 
criteria in this section, as appropriate, All additives and flavorings in ingredients that are 
18 
used to make the final product must also satisfy the criteria. 
19 
(e) 
Claims such as "natural goodness," "naturally better," or "nature's way" 
20 
are confusing and ambiguous. They should not be used and are very likely to be 
21 
misleading if applied to products not meeting the 'natural criteria.' 
22 
SECTION 5. Penalty for non-observance. -
The business license of the 
23 
manufacturer shall be revoked for failure to comply with the requirements of this Act. 
24 
SECTION 6. Separability Clause. - If any part or provision of this Act is held 
25 
invalid or unconstitutional, the other parts or provisions thereof shall remain valid and 
26 
effective. 
3 


• • 
SECTION 7. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, proclamations, rules 
2 
and regulations or parts thereof, inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby 
3 
repealed, amended or modified accordingly. 
4 
SECTION 8. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
5 
from its pUblication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
4