Why food warning labels matter

There is a silent killer lurking in our country today, and it’s found in the very choices we make at the dining table—which we may not even be aware of. Far from being a judgment on our eating habits, this is an invitation to ask yourself if you and your family know what’s in the food you’re buying.

We are a nation of food lovers, with rich culinary traditions that bind us. In a culture where food is at the heart of every gathering, it is painful to admit that many of our food choices are contributing to a growing health crisis: obesity and noncommunicable diseases that may develop from childhood. The children we expect to carry the future of this country are now at risk of life-threatening diseases because of the food they consume

Last year, heart diseases were still found to be the leading cause of death in the Philippines. Behind this crisis is our broken food system. While we may believe that the choices we make are our own, the reality is that our decisions on what to eat are often the result of forces beyond our control.

It’s a story I’ve seen often in my practice. Filipino families, so focused on work and studies, wonder why they get sick or can’t lose weight. “Healthy” naman ang kinakain namin, they say. But the truth is, it’s not just about individual choices. The environment we live in, including the lack of clear, understandable labeling, play a pivotal role in our health outcomes. The reality is this: our own dining tables, lovingly stocked and prepared by the hands of hardworking Filipino parents, are packed with highly processed, unhealthy products.

This is because the food industry is simply not looking out for our best interests. Snacks and drinks, the prepackaged and processed food that claim to be healthy are fooling Filipino consumers, since they are loaded with sodium, saturated fats, and sugar. These ingredients are masked by clever marketing and vague labeling, making it nearly impossible for the average consumer to make informed decisions.

This insidious marketing is by design, but a clear solution has been staring us in the face for years now. Mandatory front-of-pack food warning labels ensuring clear and prominent information will allow consumers to quickly see if a product contains unhealthy levels of sugar, fat, or sodium. It’s a simple but powerful tool to help us all make healthier choices.

Today, this basic right to know is being denied in the name of profit, and the industry as a whole goes to great lengths to make sure we don’t know what’s in their products. We cannot allow big business to continue profiting at the expense of our children’s health. Food labeling is not just about awareness—it’s about public health. Many countries around the world have already adopted such policies, and it’s time for the Philippines to do the same.

This is a matter of public health, consumer rights, and public policy. The choices we make today will determine the health of future generations. We cannot afford to let our food—and by extension, our health—become another area where we lag behind the rest of the world. A mandatory front-of-pack food warning label policy will benefit all Filipinos. It will empower us to make informed choices about what we put in our bodies and protect the most vulnerable among us from the long-term effects of unhealthy diets.

As we mark International World Food Day, I extend this call to all: Let’s shift the focus from blaming individual choices to examining the broader factors that influence our food choices. Let’s examine the information available to us—starting at the dining table. It’s about time we give consumers the information they need and warn against products that damage us further. Public health should empower people, not place the burden on them.

There will be a mass media campaign organized by the Healthy Philippines Alliance and HealthJustice Philippines to raise awareness on the importance of front-of-pack food warning labels to empower Filipino consumers to make the right choices for themselves and their families. This will be part of a larger call for stronger policies to combat the country’s growing health crises of obesity and noncommunicable diseases. Join our call for a food warning label policy and learn more via the Healthy Philippines Alliance Facebook page and website.

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Dr. Jaime Galvez Tan has served in various capacities, including as secretary of health and as an East Asia and Pacific Unicef regional adviser on health and nutrition. He is lead convenor of the Healthy Philippines Alliance and board member of HealthJustice Philippines.