Baguio seeks restos to log calorie content on menus

BAGUIO CITY (November 26, 2024) -- The Baguio City Council has started to craft a local law that requires restaurants and food businesses to indicate the calorie count per serving at their menus.

This, it said, is for improved health and nutrition outcomes.

The proposal seeks to make a policy of the city government to protect and promote the health and nutrition of its citizens and to provide consumers with nutrition information so that they can make informed and healthier food choices.

Baguio City shall endeavor to establish a healthy food environment by requiring food businesses to display calorie count in their menus and make other nutrition information available, the proposal noted.

When finally approved as a local ordinance, food establishments shall disclose calorie content, nutrients of concern and reference daily calorie requirements in their respective menus.

Though the mandatory declaration of nutrition information shall not apply to food establishments that do not offer standard menu items; daily specials, temporary menu items, custom orders, and other menu offered that are not standardized and other food items that are not for sale as standalone food items for consumption and extra food items used as flavorings, such as condiments and spices.

To encourage compliance, an incentive scheme for restaurants or food business that voluntarily provide and disclose nutrition information and similar manner as specified under the measure such as promotion and public recognition through various channels such as websites, social media and local publications, the proposal further explained.

Though a punitive clause for non-compliance warns that failure of the covered establishments to comply with the prescribed rules shall be considered an offense and subject to penalties.



The owner, president, general manager and other persons-in-charge or accountable officers of the food businesses who commit any of the offenses shall be penalized with a notice of violation and a fine of P1,000 for the first offense, a second notice of violation, a fine of P2,000 and a training on proper compliance for the second offense, a third notice of violation, a fine of P2,000 and the issuance of a cease and desist order for the third offense and a fine ofP₱5,000 and revocation of business permit for the fourth and succeeding offenses.

Once approved, the City Health Services Office is tasked as the lead agency in the implementation of the pertinent provisions of the measure once approved.

The lead agency shall be responsible for issuing the guidelines and policies necessary for the implementation of the ordinance