Are you conscious of what you eat?
The Quezon City local government recently passed an ordinance mandating restaurants and other food businesses.
Under the “Calorie Labeling Ordinance,” businesses are obliged to disclose calorie content, nutrients of concern, and the reference daily calorie requirement on their menus.
The Department of Science and Technology’s Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) said the recent ordinance can help consumers quantify if they are getting enough calories from the food that they will order.
“Dahil sa menu labeling, magkakaroon ng available na information ang consumers sa dami ng calories o nutrients na makukuha nila sa pagkain na available sa food service establishments,” DOST-FNRI’s May Ann Gironella told GMA News Online in an interview.
[Menu labeling can provide consumers with information about how much calories and nutrients they can get from the available food choices from the establishment.]
“From there, maaari nilang malaman kung ‘yung kanilang consumption ay kulang ba o sobra na sa kanilang requirement per day or per meal,” she added.
[From there, they can know if they are getting enough or too much that they need.]
According to the Philippine Dietary Reference Intakes, 19–29 years old males require some 2,530 kcal a day, while females need 1,930 kcal a day. Males who are 30-49 years old need 2,420 kcal a day, while females of the same age require 1,870 kcal a day.
“Kapag kulang pa [sa requirement], they can eat more para ma-meet ‘yung kanilang requirement and then kung sobra na, na-meet na nila, pwede na nila ‘yong i-limit sa succeeding nila na pagkain,” Gironella said.
[If they are getting less, they can eat more to meet their requirement. If they see that they are getting too much, they can limit what they will eat next.]
“Mahalaga ‘yung pagkakaroon ng ganoong impormasyon kasi at least kahit doon sa mga pagkain na nako-consume sa food establishments, magiging aware ‘yung public kung gaano kadami ‘yung nakakain nila.”
[It is important to have this kind of information, so that the public can be aware of how the nutritional value they are getting.]
Helps in the Fight vs. Obesity and Other Non-Communicable Diseases
Menu labeling does not only allow consumers to monitor what they eat; it could also help in their weight management and avoid malnutrition or obesity along with other non-communicable diseases like cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, among others.
Aside from calories, menu labeling can provide other information like nutritional value that can ensure consumers they are eating a balanced meal. Gironella reminded the public to take advantage of these.
“Kaya kapag ang pag-uusapan ay pagiging healthy or nutritious ‘yung diet, hindi lang calories ‘yung ating concern but also the other macronutrients, ‘yung carbohydrates, protein, and fat, gayundin ‘yung micronutrients gaya nung mga vitamins, minerals, and also ‘yung consumption din ng fiber. Kasi ine-encourage rin natin ‘yan, ‘yung pag-consume ng fiber,” the official said.
[Health or nutrition doesn’t just concern calories but also other macronutrients, like carbohydrates, protein, and fat; vitamins, minerals, and even fiber. Because we are also encouraging eating more fiber.]
“Ang lagi nating sinasabi, laging isasaalang-ilangan ‘yung principles ng moderation, variety, and balance, kasi hindi natin makukuha ‘yung lahat ng sustansya sa iisang type ng pagkain kaya dapat iba’t ibang klase ng pagkain ‘yung dapat kinakain natin,” she added.
[We always remind the public about the principles of moderation, variety and balance. Because we won’t be able to get all of the nutrition in one type of food. That’s why it’s important to eat a variety of food.]
“Ang pagmo-monitor ng calorie intake ay nakakatulong laluna kung ang goal ng isang tao ay bumaba ang kanyang timbang. At least sa usapin ng pagkain laluna ng calories, may masisigurado ‘yung dami ng calories na magagamit ‘yung katawan kaysa mai-istore siya as fat,” Gironella said.
[Monitoring calorie intake helps especially when a person wants to lose weight. This way, a person can ensure s/he is getting the calories the body actually needs, instead of getting too much and then storing it as fat.]
Don’t Stress it Out
The official cautioned customers to not be too cautious in their food consumption as it may cause stress.
“Being conscious is okay pero kapag sobrang conscious naman baka mag-cause rin ito ng stress sa individual baka mag-lead naman ito sa sobrang pagda-diet. Ang importante ay maintindihan ng isang indibidwal kung ano, gaano karami at anong klase ng pagkain ‘yung kanyang dapat kainin,” she said.
[Being conscious is OK but don’t be too conscious about it because that can cause stress, which can lead to over-dieting. What’s important is for a person to understand how much nutrients and calories s/he is getting from what types of food.]
With the labels in menus, consumers can now compare, choose, and control what they can eat in a day.
“Since magiging available na ‘tong information na ‘to sa public, maaari na silang pumili ng pagkain base sa calories, in relation sa kanilang pangangailangan. They can compare meal options. Pwede silang mamili ng mas mababa ‘yung calories. Kapag aware kasi sila sa calories sa ganitong dami, maaari nilang balansehin kung pwede ba silang magdagdag ng kakainin for beverage, for fruits,” Gironella said.
[This type of information allows the public to choose food based on calories in relation to their needs. They can compare meal options, they can even choose food with less calories so they can add, say, a beverage, or a fruit dessert.]
Menu labeling can also give consumers the freedom to control their food portion, allowing them to enjoy their favorites, even in a limited amount, Gironella added.
Benefits to Restaurant Owners
“Bukod kasi sa benefit nito sa public, magbibigay din ito ng information sa food business owners tungkol sa quality ng kanilang menu na ino-offer sa kanilang establishment. Halimbawa, makita nila na medyo mataas ang calories, pwede nilang i-adjust ‘yung kanilang recipe formulation, pwede nilang baguhin ‘yung paraan ng paghahanda ng pagkain para maging mas healthy ‘yung dishes sa kanilang establishment.”
[Apart from the benefits to the public, labeling can also help food business owners about what they are offering. If they see that a particular food item is high in calories, they can change it to make it healthier.]
Gironella hopes that other local government units follow suit citing how helpful menu labeling is in other countries.
“Sumu-support po kami sa menu labeling sa mga food service establishments dahil dito magiging aware ‘yung public sa klase ng pagkain and also sa dami ng pagkain na kanilang kakainin,” she said.
“Sa ngayon sa Quezon City po ito nai-implement but sa ibang bansa ito po ay ini-implement na rin nila which also contributes para makatulong sa informed choices ng mga consumers.”
[We support menu labeling in restaurants because it can bring awareness to the public about the types of food they are eating, and how much food they need to eat. At the moment, Quezon City is the only LGU implementing this, but other countries already have this.]
The local government of Quezon City passed the “Calorie Labeling Ordinance” to promote the health and nutrition of its citizens.
There are three phases of implementation. Phase 1 covers restaurants with five or more locations within the first phase.
Phase 2, or the second year of implementation covers businesses with two to four branches and hotels.
The 3rd year of implementation will cover all food establishments.
The ordinance was enacted on February 5.
— LA, GMA Integrated News