SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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Second Regular Session 
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, iD rhtr ol ll>o S’ 
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S I 'N A I i :
SENATE BILL NO. 1 6 2 1
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NOV 27 All :02
Introduced by SENATOR LEILA M. DE LIMA
AN A cr
REQUIRING THE DISCLOSURE OF NUI IUTIONAL INI OILMATION IN 
MI:NUS OI I OOI) SI .RVICE ESTABLISIIMEN'IS
E x p la n a to ry  N o te
The Constitution mandates that the State protect and promote the right to 
health of the people and instill health consciousness among them. (Sec. 15, Art. II)
The 8th National Nutrition Sun'ey conducted by the Food and Nutrition 
Research Institute in 2013 revealed that three out of ten or 31 percent of Filipino adults 
are overweight or obese. Likewise, the percentage of adults with high waist 
circumference is rising, particularly among females. In the same report, 22.3 percent 
of the adult population is considered hypertensive and hypertension prevalence tends 
to increase with wealth and is slightly higher among rural versus urban residents. 
Meanwhile, diabetes prevalence is at 5.4 percent and increases among the rich and 
urban dwellers.
Weight gain occurs when more calories are consumed than are expended. 
Eating out, and eating extra calories while eating out, contribute disproportionately to 
the excess calorie intake that fuels the rise in incidence of obesity. Obesity increases 
the risk of diabetes, heart di.sease, stroke, some cancers, and other health problems.
1 he increase in consumption of away-from-home foods has been facilitated by 
the expansion of fast food and restaurant chains, which serve food that is easily 
available, inexpensive, and high in calorics. While packaged foods are already required 
to disclose nutritional facts, meals sold through food establishments contain no such 
disclosure. The health conscious have to guess at the nutritional content of meals taken 
in restaurants. On the other hand, those who are less aware of the need for proper 
dieting are left unaware of the nutritional values that they intake.
To address the problems of obesity and improper nutrition among Filipinos, 
this bill mandates the disclosure of caloric and nutritional information in menus of 
food service establishments. Nutrient content information provided at the time of food 
selection in food ser\’ice establishments would enable consumers to make more 
informed and healthier food choices, promote health awareness and proper dieting,


and assist consumers who arc monitoring their diets or dealing with chronic diseases, 
such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
In view of the foregoing, early approval of this measure is requested.
LpLA M . DE LIM A


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SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OETHE PHILIPPINES 
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Second Regular Session 
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S I ' N A I l
SENATE BILL NO. 1621
.O U h c  c.I til. .. 
. i l . i n '
•17 
NOV 27 
All --OZ
Introduced by SENATOR LEILA M. DE LIMA
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AN ACI
REQUIRING TIII<: DISCLOSURE OE NUTRITIONAL INI ORMATION IN 
MENUS OI- I OOD SERVICE ESTABLISHMENTS
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 “Nutritional Information 
Disclosure Act of 2017”.
See. 2. Declaration of Policy. -  The State shall protect and promote the right of healtli 
of the people and instill health consciousness among them. As such, it recognizes the 
need to disclose nutritional facts for food and beverages made available to the public 
in order to sufficiently instill a sense of health consciousness among the populace.
Sec. 3. Definition of Terms. -  As used in this Act, the term
A. Calorie content information” means the total number of calories per standard 
menu item, as that item is usually prepared and offered for sale;
B. Covered food service establishment" is a food sei’vice establishment that is one 
of a group of 15 or more food semee establishments doing business nationally, 
offering for sale substantially the same menu items, in servings that are 
standardized for portion size and content, that operate under common


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ownership or control, or as franchised outlets of a parent business, or do 
business under the same name;
C. “Drive-thru” means an area where a customer may provide an order for and 
receive standard menu items while occupying a motor vehicle;
D. "Menu" shall mean a printed list or pictorial display of a food item or items, and 
their price(s), that are available for sale from a covered food seivice 
establishment and shall include menus distributed or provided outside of the 
establishment;
E. "Menu board" shall mean any list or pictorial display of a food item or items 
and their pricc(s) posted in and visible within a covered food service 
establishment or outside of a covered food service establishment for the 
purpose of ordering from a drive-through window;
F. "Standard menu item" shall mean any individual food item, or combination of 
food items, listed or displayed on a menu board or menu that is offered for sale 
or sold by a covered food service establishment through a menu, menu board, 
or display tag at least i8o days per calendar year;
G. "Nutritional information" includes, but is not limited to, all of the following, per 
menu item:
a. Total number of calories
b. Total number of grams of carbohydrates
c. Total number of grams of saturated fat
d. Total number of grams of protein
e. Total number of milligrams of sodium
H. “Reasonable basis” means any reasonable means recognized by the Department 
of Health in determining nutritional information, as well as calorie content


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information, for a menu item, as usually prepared and offered for sale, 
includinj^, but not limited to, nutrient databases and laboratory analyses; and
I. "Department" refers to the Department of I lealth.
Sec. 4 . Menu Labeling. -  Cox cred food sen ice establishments shall disclose in a clear 
and conspicuous manner on their menus and menu boards the calorie content 
information, which shall be displayed adjacent to the name of the standard menu item, 
so as to be clearly associated with such item. In the case of display tags, the calorie 
content information of the standard menu item identified on the display tag shall be 
stated thereon.
For the other nutritional information of the standard menu items, as well as the 
suggested daily caloric intake of the average Filipino as specified by the Secretary of 
Health through the implementing rules and regulations to be issued pursuant to this 
Act, covered food service establishments shall disclose the information in a clear and 
conspicuous manner on a brochure that is made available at the point of sale prior to 
or during the placement of an order.
In the case of food sold at a salad bar, buffet line, cafeteria line, or similar self-service 
facility, and for self-sei'vice box crages or food that is on display and that is visible to 
customers, a covered food service establishment shall place adjacent to each food 
offered a sign that lists calories per displayed food item or per serving.
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The disclosure of calorie content information on a menu or menu board next to a 
standard menu item that is a combination of at least two standard menu items on the 
menu or menu board, shall, based upon all possible combinations for that standard 
menu item, include both the minimum and maximum amount of calories for the


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calorie count information. If there is only one possible total amount of calorics, then
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this total shall be disclosed.
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The disclosure of calorie content information next to a standard menu item that is 
intended to sen e more than one individual, shall include the number of individuals 
intended to be sei-ved by the standard menu item and the calorie content information 
per individual sening.
The nutritional information and calorie content information required by this section 
shall be determined on a reasonable basis. A reasonable basis determination of 
nutritional information and calorie content information shall be required only once 
per standard menu item, provided that portion size is reasonably consistent and the 
covered food service establishment follows a standardized recipe and trains to a 
consistent method of preparation.
See. 5. Disclosure in Drive-thru Food Service Establishments. -  A covered food 
service establishment that has a drive-thru area and uses a menu board to display or 
list standard menu items at the point of sale shall, for purposes of the drive-thru area 
only, disclose the nutritional information in a clear and conspicuous manner on a 
brochure that is available upon request, and shall conspicuously display a notice at the 
point of sale that reads: “NUTRITION INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE UPON 
REQUEST or other similar statement that indicates the disclosure of nutrition 
information is available upon request.
See. 6. Noncompliance with Menu Labeling Reguirement. — The following shall be 
considered non-compliance v\ith menu labeling:
(1) The sale of any food or beverage item by covered establishments without the 
required caloric content information, suggested daily calorie intake, and


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availability of nutritional information displayed on the menu, menu board, or 
display tag;
(2) The sale of any food or beverage item by co\ ered establishments without the 
availability of the required nutritional information for all standard menu items;
(3) The declaration of calorie content information and nutritional information 
without reasonable basis therefor; and
(4) The misbranding or erroneous disclosure of calorie content information and 
nutritional information of standard menu items.
See. 7. Penalties. -  The Department, after notice and hearing, shall impose any or all 
of the following administrative sanctions in cases of noncompliance:
a. Suspension of business operations of the non-complying branch or branches of 
the covered food sei-vicc establishment for such period of time as determined 
by the Department; and
b. A fine of not less than Three Hundred Thousand Pesos (Php 300,000.00) for 
the first violation; not more than Six Hundred Thousand Pesos (Php 
600,000.00) for the second violation; and not more than One Million Pesos 
(Php 1,000,000.00) for the third vriolation for eveiy non-complying branch.
See. 8 . Implementinf) Rules and Regulations. -  Within six (6) months from the date 
of effectivity of this Act, the Department of Health, in consultation with other 
concerned agencies, non-governmental organizations, private .sector and consumer 
groups involved in nutrition, shall promulgate the necessary implementing rules and 
regulations to implement the provisions of this Act.


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See. 9 . Scpamhility Clause. - If any provision of this Act is declared invalid or
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unconstitutional, the provisions not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force
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and effect.
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Sec. 10. Repealing Clause. - All laws, executive orders, presidential decrees, 
presidential proclamations, letters of instruction, rules and regulations or parts 
thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified 
accordingly.
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Sec. 11. Effeclivity. - This Act shall take effect within fifteen (15) days following its
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publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation in 
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the Philippines.
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Approved,