Press Release
October 18, 2022

Tulfo berates DTI for failure to protect and educate consumers vs high-sodium instant noodles, sardines

Senator Idol Raffy Tulfo called upon the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to protect consumers against products that are dangerous for their health, particularly instant noodles and canned sardines with high sodium level that are regularly consumed by those in the low-income bracket.

During the Department of Trade and Industry's (DTI) budget hearing on Oct. 17, Tulfo said DTI Sec. Alfredo Pascual should coordinate with the concerned agencies, such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), to push manufacturers to find better alternative to sodium chloride and minimize the health risks of too much salt.

"Ang mahihirap nating mga kababayan, mukhang napapabayaan. 1.2M Filipinos annually ang nagkakasakit po sa kidney dahil sa pagkonsumo ng maaalat na produkto ayon sa National Kidney Institute. Ang instant noodles hindi lang once a day kinakain ng mga mahihirap, kasi ito po ang kanilang abot-kaya. Kaya nga po ang tawag dito ay poor-man's food," he said.

"If you know that these products are not good for the health of the Filipino people, na sinabi na ring paulit-ulit na ng mga health experts, dapat po ay umaksyon na kayo agad, at kayo mismo ang gumagawa ng initiative to refer the issue to the agency concerned. Hindi 'yung sasabihin niyong, hindi niyo trabaho 'yan, at magtuturo kayo ng ibang departamento," he added.

While he is not against production of instant noodles and sardines, Tulfo raised concern on high level of sodium found in these products. During the said hearing, he brought with him a variety of cup noodles which he, on his own initiative, purchased and presented before the Committee.

Unlike in Japan and the US that managed to reduce sodium level on instant noodles and sardines, Tulfo noted how one pack of locally-made instant noodles has sodium content ranging from 1,600mg to 1,900mg when the recommended daily intake is only a maximum of 2,000mg.

In Japan, for one, a brand has already launched a salt-reduced version of its famous cup noodles by using magnesium chloride instead of sodium chloride. A top-selling sardines' brand in the US, meanwhile, only has 70mg sodium per can as compared to the famous sardines' brands in the Philippines which have sodium levels from 300mg to as high as 610mg per can.

Alarmingly, Tulfo said some poor people would consume instant noodles multiple times a day considering it as their three square meals a day or more because these are very affordable, without being aware that this could lead to excess daily salt consumption that are causing diseases such as kidney problem and diabetes.

As such, Tulfo said local manufacturers of sardines and cup noodles could take after the adjustments made by brands in Japan and US which reduced or replaced sodium chloride with better alternative to lessen the products' health risks without compromising the taste.

In fact, Tulfo recalled that famous Filipino doctor Willie Ong, as well as other medical experts and consumer advocates, already warned time and time again that several medical conditions are worsened by too much salt from products like cup noodles, but still no actions were taken by the DTI.

In calling out DTI for its failure to proactively monitor the safety of these products that are distributed and sold to the market, Tulfo cited Art. 10 of the Consumer Act of the Philippines.

Art. 10 states that: "Whenever the departments find, by their own initiative or by petition of a consumer, that a consumer product is found to be injurious, unsafe or dangerous, it shall, after due notice and hearing, make the appropriate order for its recall, prohibition or seizure from public sale or distribution."

The Senator from Isabela and Davao was further enraged when Pascual insisted that DTI is not the agency responsible for the matter, stressing that DTI is mandated to protect the consumers from goods that are hazardous and dangerous to the consumers.

To further highlight DTI's duty to protect consumers, Tulfo cited the agency's budget request for 2023 of P443.576 million for Consumer Protection Program and P82.783 million for Consumer Education and Advocacy Program.

Tulfo said it is part of Consumer Education and Advocacy Program to educate the consumer that too much sodium in their diet is hazardous to their health.

Slapped with all these valid arguments, Pascual agreed to take the matter up with the concerned agencies.


Tulfo, kinalampag ang DTI dahil sa instant noodles, sardinas na mataas ang sodium content

Nanawagan si Senator Idol Raffy Tulfo sa Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) na protektahan ang mga mamimili laban sa mga produktong delikado para sa kanilang kalusugan, tulad ng instant noodles at de-latang sardinas na may mataas na sodium level.

Sa budget hearing ng Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) noong Oktubre 17, sinabi ni Tulfo kay DTI Sec. Alfredo Pascual na makipagugnayan sa mga kinauukulang ahensya, tulad ng Food and Drug Administration (FDA), para itulak ang mga manufacturer na maghanap ng mas mabuting alternatibo sa sodium chloride para mabawasan ang mga panganib na dala sa kalusugan ng sobrang asin.

Ang mahihirap nating mga kababayan, mukhang napapabayaan. 1.2M Filipinos annually ang nagkakasakit po sa kidney dahil sa pagkonsumo ng maaalat na produkto ayon sa National Kidney Institute. Ang instant noodles hindi lang once a day kinakain ng mga mahihirap, kasi ito po ang kanilang abot-kaya. Kaya nga po ang tawag dito ay poor-man's food," ani Tulfo

"If you know that these products are not good for the health of the Filipino people, na sinabi na ring paulit-ulit na ng mga health experts, dapat po ay umaksyon na kayo agad, at kayo mismo ang gumagawa ng initiative to refer the issue to the agency concerned. Hindi 'yung sasabihin niyong, hindi niyo trabaho 'yan, at magtuturo kayo ng ibang departamento," dagdag niya.

Bagama't hindi siya tutol sa paggawa ng instant noodles at sardinas, nag-alala si Tulfo sa mataas na sodium content ng mga produktong ito.

Ani Tulfo, ang isang pakete ng locally-made na instant noodles ay may sodium content mula 1,600mg hanggang 1,900mg samantalang ang inirerekomendang pang-araw-araw na sodium consumption ay hanggang 2,000mg lamang.

Sa Japan, ginagamit ng isang sikat na brand sa paggawa ng instant noodles ang magnesium chloride sa halip na sodium chloride. Samantala, ang isang top-selling na brand ng sardinas sa US, ay mayroon lamang 70mg sodium bawat can kumpara sa mga sikat na sardine brand sa Pilipinas na may sodium level mula 300mg hanggang sa kasing taas ng 610mg per can.

Sinabi ni Tulfo na ang ilang mga mahihirap na Pilipino ay kumakain ng instant noodles ng maraming beses sa isang araw nang hindi nalalaman na ito ay maaaring magdulot ng sakit tulad ng kidney problem.

Ani Tulfo, ang sikat na Pilipinong doktor na si Willie Ong, gayundin ang iba pang mga medikal na eksperto at consumer advocates, ay paulit-ulit na nagbabala sa masamang dulot sobrang asin mula sa mga produkto tulad ng cup noodles, ngunit wala pa ring ginawang aksyon ang DTI.

Pinaalalahanan ni Tulfo ang mandato ng DTI na protektahan ang consumers base sa Art. 10 ng Consumer Act of the Philippines.

Nakasaad sa Art. 10 na: "Whenever the departments find, by their own initiative or by petition of a consumer, that a consumer product is found to be injurious, unsafe or dangerous, it shall, after due notice and hearing, make the appropriate order for its recall, prohibition or seizure from public sale or distribution."

Lalong nagalit ang Senador nang iginiit ni Pascual na hindi ang DTI ang ahensyang responsable sa pagprotekta sa consumers laban sa nga pagkaing tulad ng instant noodles.

Upang higit na bigyang-diin ang tungkulin ng DTI na protektahan ang mga mamimili, binanggit ni Tulfo budget request ng ahensya para sa 2023 na P443.576 milyon para sa Consumer Protection Program at P82.783 milyon para sa Consumer Education and Advocacy Program.

News Latest News Feed