Helping Filipinos make healthier food choices through front-of-pack labelling

Clearer nutrition labels on food packaging could help support healthier diets and prevent diet-related noncommunicable diseases in the Philippines

^{A sample front-of-pack nutrition label using colour-coded indicators for fat, sugar, and salt illustrates how simplified labels can help consumers better understand nutrition information and support healthier food choices. Photo credit: DOST-FNRI/2026}

Choosing healthier food options is not always easy, especially when nutrition information is difficult to spot or understand. While nutrition facts are already printed on many packaged food products, the information is often on the back or side of the package and may be difficult for consumers to interpret quickly.

For many Filipino families, this can make everyday food choices more challenging. Foods high in sugar, sodium, and unhealthy fats are widely available and heavily marketed, while healthier choices are not always easy to identify.

Recent data in the Philippines show that about 40% of adults are overweight or obese, while 16.2% are living with hypertension and 8.5% with diabetes. Among children and adolescents, around 13% are overweight or obese. Filipinos also consume more than twice the WHO recommended limit of salt from processed foods, sauces, flavour enhancers and condiments. Similarly, processed foods and sweetened beverages contribute to high sugar intake, particularly among children and adolescents.

As rates of obesity and diet-related noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease, continue to rise, WHO recommends front-of-pack labelling as one measure that can support healthier food environments. Placing simplified nutrition information on the front of food packaging helps consumers to quickly identify products that are high in sugar, salt, and saturated fat, it supports healthier choices at the point of purchase, and encourages manufacturers to improve product formulations.

^{Participants discuss possible front-of-pack labelling approaches for the Philippines during a consultative workshop in May 2026 convened by DOST-FNRI and the National Nutrition Council, with support from the Department of Health, UNICEF, and WHO. Photo credit: DOST-FNRI/2026}

Different countries use different types of labels, including warning labels, colour-coded systems, summary ratings, and interpretive symbols. WHO recommends that front-of-pack labelling systems should be evidence-informed, interpretive, simple, visible, and easy for consumers to understand. Effective systems are also supported by an appropriate nutrient profiling model, complemented by back-of-pack nutrient declarations, and implemented as part of broader efforts to promote healthier diets and nutrition awareness. At this time, available evidence does not point to one single front-of-pack labelling model as best for all countries and contexts. The appropriate system for the Philippines should therefore be guided by national public health objectives, local evidence, consumer understanding, regulatory feasibility, and implementation capacity.

WHO is also supporting the development of the Philippine Nutrient Profile Model, which will serve as a technical reference for front-of-pack labelling and other healthy food environment policies.

In the Philippines, government agencies, technical and academic partners, civil society groups, development partners, and other stakeholders are continuing discussions on possible front-of-pack labelling approaches suited to the Philippine context. On 21 May 2026, stakeholders gathered in Quezon City for a consultative workshop organized by the Department of Science and Technology–Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) and the National Nutrition Council, with support from the Department of Health, UNICEF, and WHO.

The discussions included international experiences, current evidence, and evidence-generation from a Philippine study that will examine how different front-of-pack label formats may influence consumer understanding and food choices in the local setting. The workshop was part of an inclusive, transparent, and government-led policy development process, with appropriate safeguards to protect public health objectives.

^{Dr Yu Lee Park of WHO Philippines delivers a message during the workshop, reaffirming WHO’s support for an inclusive, transparent, and government-led process for front-of-pack labelling policy development. Photo credit: DOST-FNRI/2026}

The workshop emphasized that a future front-of-pack labelling system should be understandable and relevant to Filipino consumers, including vulnerable groups and people with varying levels of nutrition literacy. “Clear and easy-to-understand nutrition information is an important step towards preventing diet-related diseases and protecting public health. Front-of-pack labelling can empower consumers to make healthier choices at the point of purchase and encourage healthier food environments,” said Acting Deputy WHO Representative to the Philippines, Olivia Lawe Davies, during the workshop.

Continued collaboration among government, technical and academic partners, development partners, civil society, and communities will be important in advancing policies that help make healthier choices easier and more accessible for all Filipinos.