Public health advocates and civil society organizations are urging the national government to accelerate the implementation of mandatory food warning labels and a robust Nutrient Profile Model (NPM) to combat noncommunicable diseases.

The Health Philippine Alliance (HPA), convened by HealthJustice Philippines, made the call in conjunction with World Kidney Day and Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month this March as they argue that these measures would protect consumers from unhealthy food products and diseases such as diabetes, cancer and chronic kidney disease (CKD).

They also stressed the need for a strong NPM that sets threshold levels for sugar, sodium and saturated fats in pre-packaged foods. Products exceeding these thresholds would require front-of-pack warning labels, enabling consumers to make informed choices.

Former Health Secretary Jaime Galvez Tan, HPA lead convenor, said the NPM should align with World Health Organization and Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) recommendations. He urged the National Nutrition Council to approve the WHO PAHO-based model, which he said is designed for consumer protection.

“We need our leaders to act now and save lives from cancer, CKD and other chronic diseases,” Tan said.

The advocates also called for mandatory front-of-pack food labeling, a WHO-recommended “best buy” solution to promote healthy diets and prevent NCDs. They cited a study in Chile where the implementation of food warning labels led to a significant drop in products labeled “HIGH IN” sugar, sodium or fat, indicating manufacturers reformulated their products.

“Those that go beyond the thresholds will be identified through mandatory front-of-pack food warning labels to help consumers avoid products that can harm them,” Tan said. “These interventions in turn encourage the food and beverage industry to reformulate their products.”