03 DEC 2014
Republic of the Philippines ME “ge PH.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES hs Salle

Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS

Second Regular Session

House BillNo.__ 9253.

Introduced by Hon. Delphine Gan Lee

EXPLANATORY NOTE
International and local medical researches have shown that a high dietary intake of

saturated fat can lead to increased serum cholesterol levels which, in turn, can lead to

Coronary Heart Disease (CHD). CHD is a killer disease in the Philippines and the number

one killer disease in America.

‘To decrease the risk of acquiring the disease, private and public studies by experts in
the fields of medicine and nutrition unanimously support the conclusion that the people
should know how much fat, particularly saturated fat, they consume and should guard against
too much consumption of fat in general and saturated fat in particular,

Republic Act No. 7394 or the “Consumer Act of the Philippines,” Articles 77 and 84

provides for the minimum labeling requirements for consumer products and additional
labeling requirements for food, respectively. However, these provisions on labeling
requirements do not expressly require information on the fat and cholesterol content of foods.

Thus, not all consumer food products contain such information.


This bill therefore seeks to provide consumers with more information on the fat and
cholesterol content of foods through improved labeling. The early passage of this bill is thus,

earnestly requested



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SIXTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

5253

House Bill No.

Introduced by Hon. Delphine Gan Lee

AN ACT
PRESCRIBING LABELING REQUIREMENTS
FOR FOODS WHICH CONTAIN SATURATED FAT AND CHOLESTEROL
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as the “Low Cholesterol

Consumer Education Act 2014.”

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. — \t is the policy of the State to protect the
interests of the consumer, promote his general welfare and to establish standards of conduct
for business and industry, Towards this end, the State shall implement measures to achieve
the following objectives:

(A) Protection against hazards to health and safety; and

(B) Provision of information and education to facilitate sound choice and the proper
exercise of rights by the consumer;

‘The State shall therefore, enforce compulsory labeling and fair packaging to enable
the consumer to obtain accurate information as to the nature, quality and quantity of the
contents of consumer products and to facilitate his/ her comparison of the value of such

products.


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SECTION 3. Definition of Terms, — For purposes of this Act, the term:

(A) “Saturated Fat” refers to that type of fat with single covalent bonds between the
carbons of its fatty acids, which molecule’s available bonding sites are entirely filled with
hydrogen atoms, It is solid at room temperature and is found in foods from animal meats and
skin, dairy products and some vegetables;

(B) “Cholesterol” means the sterol found in animal tissue in combination with
triglycerides and protein-bound phospholipids. It is a precursor to the formation of the Low
Density Lipoprotein (LDL), high levels of which in the blood, leads to coronary heart disease,

(©) “Label” or “labeling” means the display of written, printed or graphic matter on
any consumer product or its immediate container, tag, literature or other suitable material
affixed thereto for the purpose of giving information as to identity, components, ingredients,
attributes, directions for use, specifications and such other information as may be required by
law or regulations; and

(D) “Standards” means to a set of conditions to be fulfilled to ensure the quality and

safety of a product.

SECTION 4. Standard

Not later than one hundred eighty (180) days after the date

of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health shall establish and pul the following:

(A) Standards for the recommended maximum daily levels of total fat, total saturated
fat, and cholesterol in total dietary intake, expressed as a percentage of calories from fat and
total grams of fat, and

(B) Relevant and appropriate standards for determining service sizes of foods for

purposes of enabling consumers to make comparisons of fat content contained in similar or

like products.


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SECTION 5. Labeling. — The Department of Health shall impose an additional
labeling requirement for food which specifically shows:
(A) Saturated fat content; and

(B) Cholesterol content.

SECTION 6. Prohibited Acts on Labeling. —\t shall be unlawful for any person,
either as principal or agent, engaged in the labeling or packaging of any food consumer
product, to display or distribute or to cause to be displayed or distributed in commerce, any

food consumer product whose label does not conform to the provisions of this Act.

SECTION 7. Penalties. - Any person who shall violate the provisions of this Act
shall be subject to a fine of not less than One Thousand Pesos (P1,000.00) but not more than
Twenty Thousand Pesos (P20,000.00) or imprisonment of not less than six (6) months but not

more than four (4) years or both, at the discretion of the court.

SECTION 8. Separability Clause. — If any provision or part hereof, is held invalid or
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain

valid and subsisting.

SECTION 9. Repealing Clause. ~ Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or inconsistent

with, the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly.

SECTION 10. Effectivity Clause. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after

its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,