Report manufacturers of food products with trans fats

MANILA, Philippines — A group campaigning for the elimination of trans fat in the country urged the public to report any manufacturers violating the order issued by the Department of Health (DOH) on the removal of trans fatty acid in food products.

In Administrative Order 0039 issued in 2021, the DOH together with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave food manufacturers until June 18, 2023 to reformulate and remove trans fatty acids from their products or face sanctions.

The ban on industrially produced trans fatty acids or iTFA took effect last June 19.

Lawyer Mikhail Millan of the public interest group ImagineLaw, called on all Filipinos to join in the efforts to enforce AO 2021-0039 by reporting any products or manufacturers that deviate.

“There are two ways to report. The official one is on the FDA website for any violations, but we can also visit Trans Fat Free Philippines on FB, to act as a hotline for any reports,” Millan said in a recent online forum organized by the Philippine Heart Association (PHA).

He added, “According to the FDA, if a company violated provision of the circular, it will be ground for disapproval of their application for a CPR (certificate of product registration) for their products, or if already issued with a CPR, it will be ground for the suspension or revocation of their CPR.”

Millan’s group has been advocating for the total eradication of iTFA in the country, and has partnered with the PHA, the government, and other civil society organizations in their campaign.

He added, “Since June 19, we’ve received a lot of reports of possible violations. We need these things sent through FB: name of store and city or municipality where it was bought, date, clear picture of the brand and the nutrient label of the product.”

Millan, who is also project manager for the Trans Fat Elimination initiative, referred to the ban on iTFA as “a victory for the Filipino heart.”

As the ban took effect, concerned groups launched the Bantay Kontra Trans Fat Network initiative with the aim of monitoring compliance with the ban.

Dr. Louella Santos, a cardiologist and lipidologist, said trans fat is the scariest type of fat.

“Trans Fats are produced by adding hydrogen to vegetable oils in order to extend the shelf life of products, thus the terms ‘hydrogenated oils’ and ‘partially hydrogenated oils’ seen in the ingredients of some products,” she explained.

Santos, president of the Philippine Lipid and Atherosclerosis Society, also noted that “Food with mono or poly unsaturated fats are what increase high-density lipoproteins or HDL levels, and that it is imperative to get a lipid profile early on because high cholesterol is asymptomatic, manifesting in potentially fatal blockages.”

However, while the DOH AO has come to fruition, legislation that would completely outlaw trans fat in the Philippines remains under scrutiny in Congress.

Both Senate Bill 1286 and House Bill 8128 (Trans Fat-Free Philippine Act) remain pending in Senate committees.