Sen. Imee Marcos files bill prohibiting sugar in baby food products

Sen. Imee Marcos (File photo from the Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Imee Marcos filed on Monday Senate Bill No. 2518 — the proposed No-Added Sugar on Baby Foods Act, which aims to prohibit manufacturers from adding sugar to babies’ food products.

“In a 2022 survey of the Department of Science and Technology’s Food and Nutrition Research Institute, around 27 million Filipinos are overweight and obese. For the past two decades, overweight and obesity among adults have almost doubled from 20.2% in 1998 to 36.6% in 2019. Similarly, the prevalence rates of overweight and obesity among adolescents have more than doubled from 4.9% in 2003 to 11.6% in 2018,” the bill’s explanatory note said.

“A recent study by the University of the Philippines found that young Filipinos are at a greater risk of obesity, due to the consumption of food that is energy-dense and nutrient-poor, exacerbated by growing urbanization and increased incomes,” it added.

READ: Sen. Marcos calls for probe into PUV modernization, Panay blackout

READ: Maybe time for urgent, serious look at NGCP’s franchise — Imee Marcos

Once approved, the bill will prohibit manufacturers from adding sugar to baby food, specifically those meant for children six months to three years old.

“No person or entity shall manufacture, sell, import, or distribute in commerce any baby food containing added sugar. The imposition of no-added sugar baby food shall not prejudice the quality and safety of their food products for children. All baby food shall be labeled in accordance with the requirements prescribed by the FDA,” the bill said.

Producers and manufacturers of baby food products who fail to comply will face fines ranging from P300,000 up to P500,000, or imprisonment of one to five years.