TO avoid the danger of high sodium intake and lessen the risk of heart disease among Filipinos, a lawmaker on Monday asked the leadership of the House of Representatives to prioritize the passage of a bill mandating all producers and manufacturers of processed foods to indicate sodium content on their labels and packaging.
In a bill, Party-list Rep. Rodel M. Batocabe of Ako Bicol seeks to inform the general public of the high sodium content through the product’s packaging and a mandatory review of sodium content in processed foods.
The measure seeks to subject all processed foods to undergo a review for sodium content through the Department of Health (DOH) and the Bureau of Food and Drugs.
The bill also features administrative sanctions which could cost manufacturers six-digit sums in pesos should they fail to comply.
“We will require food manufacturers to specify which of their products have high sodium content, the same way we require food manufacturers to specify whether their products have high transfat or cholesterol content,” said Batocabe, adding, “sodium is known as a ‘silent killer’ and is just as hazardous to the health of the Filipino as transfat and cholesterol.”
The lawmaker, citing a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States, said adults 19 years old and above consume 89 percent to 90 percent more sodium than the recommended daily intake.
Batocabe said a Harvard School of Public Health study also showed that humans excrete double the amount of sodium than what should be allowed the human body, with recent statistics pointing to an average of 4,000 milligrams excreted compared to the normal 2,000 milligrams.
“Sodium, sugar…we normally forget about the copious amounts we take in daily, partly due to our lack of knowledge about our dietary requirements, and partly because modern society puts a premium on fast and efficient food production at the expense of our health,” Batocabe added.
“By passing this bill, we help avoid the leading health-related cause of death in the Philippines: cardiovascular disease,” he said.
The lawmaker also said the Philippine Heart Association has already expressed support for the early passage of the bill.
“We hope that with this bill, we can show that the State is serious in its mandate to protect and promote the people’s right to health. Discipline in a diet is still key, but a helping hand from the State should make things easier for food-loving Filipinos,” he added.