TECHNOLOGY AND LIVELIHOOD EDUCATION

FOOD PROCESSING 10

PACKAGE FINISHED/PROCESSED FOOD PRODUCTS

Lesson 3: Perform Post Packaging Procedures

A. LABELING

Manufacturers must give careful attention to the labeling requirements to avoid misbranding.

Some of the most important requirements are listed below:

 Nothing in the label may be false or misleading in any way.

 Imitations must be so labeled.
 Containers must be made, formed, and filled in such a way as not to be misleading.
 If a food is one for which a standard of identity has not been adopted, the label must contain the common
or usual name of the food; and if made of two or more ingredients, the name of each ingredient must be
listed in the order of its predominance by weight.
 Foods for which special dietary claims are made must be labeled according to the specifications for
nutritional labeling. The manner of listing the nutrients is prescribed in detail and must be followed. The
nutrition panel must show:
= Serving (portion) size—the amount of food for which information is given;
= The amount of food energy (in calories) and the amounts of protein, fat, and carbohydrate (in
grams).

Here are 5 common food-labeling tricks to watch out for:

Label says “Made with Whole Grains”

Label says “Multi-Grain”
Label says “No Cholesterol” or “Fat-Free”
Label says “Natural”
Label says “No Sugar-added” or “Gluten-free”
B. FOOD LABELLING REQUIREMENTS PHILIPPINES

LEGAL BASIS:

Labeling requirements for food locally produced in or imported by the Philippines have been promulgated
by the Philippine Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD). The contents of Administrative Order No. 88-BS.
1984 entitled Rules and Regulations Governing the Labeling of Prepackaged Food Products
Distributed in the Philippines.

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 26 (a) of R.A. 3720, otherwise known as the Food and Drug
Cosmetic Act, the following rules and regulations on the labeling of prepackaged food products, imported
or locally produced, are hereby promulgated for the information and guidance of all concerned.

Republic Act No. 3720 otherwise known as the “Food and Drug Cosmetic Act”
-an act to ensure the safety and purity of foods, drugs, and cosmetics being made available to the public by
creating the food and drug administration which shall administer and enforce the laws pertaining thereto.

Responsibilities of the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) to consumers:

Republic Act 7394 (Consumer Act of the Philippines) reiterated BFAD's mandate "to protect
consumers from adulterated or unsafe product with false, deceptive and misleading information".

Republic Act No. 9711

Sec 1. The Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) is hereby renamed the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA).
Sec. 2. This Act shall be known as the “Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Act of 2009”.

C. DEFINITION OF TERMS

For the purpose of this labeling regulation, the term:

1. Container means any form of packaging material which completely or partially encloses the food
(including wrappers).

2. Food means any substance, whether processed, semi-processed or raw which is intended for human
consumption.

3. Food Additive means any substance not normally consumed as a food by itself and not normally used
as typical ingredient of the food, whether or not it has nutritive value

4. Food Standard is regulatory guideline that defines the identity of a given food product |(i.e. its name and
the ingredients used for its preparation) and specifies the minimum quality factors and,
when necessary, the required fill of container. It may also include specific labeling
requirements other than or in addition to the labeling requirements generally applicable
to all prepackaged foods.

5. Ingredient means any substance, including a food additive, used as a component in the manufacture or
preparation of a food and present in the final product (in its original or modified form).

6. Label includes any tag, brand, mark, pictorial, or other descriptive matter, written, printed, marked,
embossed or impressed on, or attached to, a container of food.

7. Labeling means any written, printed or graphic matter (1) upon any article or any of its container of
wrappers or (2) accompanying the packaged food.

8. Lot refers to a quantity of food produced under essentially the same conditions during a particular
 production schedule.

9. Nutrition Information means any representation which states, suggests or implies that a food has
particular nutritional properties including but not limited to the energy value and to
the content of protein, fat and carbohydrates, as well as vitamins and minerals.

10. Prepackaged means packaged or made up in advance in a container, ready for sale to the consumer.

11. Processing Aid means a substance or material, not including apparatus or utensils, and not consumed
as a food ingredient by itself, intentionally used in the processing of food to achieve a
certain technological purpose which may result in the non-intentional but unavoidable
presence of residues or derivatives in the final product.

D. MANDATORY LABEL INFORMATION

The labels of all prepackaged foods shall bear the following information:

1. Name of the Food

1.1. The name shall indicate the true nature of the food and shall normally be specific and not generic

1.2. For the consumer’s better understanding or the true nature and condition of the food, there shall
appear on the label either in conjunction with, or in close proximity to the name of the food, such
additional words or phrases, as necessary, to state the type of packing medium, form or style, and
the condition or type of treatment it has undergone.

1.3. The name of the food shall be presented in bold type letters on the principal panel and shall be in a
size reasonably related to the most prominent printed matter on such panel.

2. List of Ingredients

2.1. A complete list of ingredients shall be declared in descending order of proportion on either the
principal display panel or information except that when a food product is covered by a Food
Standard, only the optional ingredients shall be declared unless otherwise required by such
regulation.

2.2. Added water shall be declared in the list of ingredients if such declaration would result in a better
understanding of the product’s composition by the consumer except when the water forms part of an
ingredient such as brine, syrup or broth and declared as such in the list of ingredients.

2.3. A specific name, not a collective (generic) name shall be used for an ingredient except that spices,
flavors and food colors other than those sold as such, may be designated as spices, flavors and
food color without naming the specific materials.

3. Net Contents and Drained Weight

3.1. The net contents shall be declared using the metric system of measurement or International System
of Units on either the principal display panel or the information panel and in lines generally parallel to
the base of the package.

3.2. Foods packed in a liquid medium normally discarded before consumption may carry a declaration of
drained weight.

3.3. The declaration of contents shall appear in conspicuous and legible bold face print or type in distinct
contrast to other matters on the panel where it is declared.

3.4. The net contents declaration shall be in letters and numerals of a type of the label of the food
package and shall be uniform for all packages.
4. Name and Address of Manufacturers, Packer or Distributor

4.1. The name and address of either the manufacturer, packer or distributor of the food shall be declared
on the label.

4.2. If the food is not manufactured by the person or company whose name appears on the label, the
name must be qualified by Manufactured for or packed for or similar expression.

4.3. The country of origin shall be indicated if the product is being exported or imported.

4.4. The name and address of the importer or local distributor shall be declared in the labels of imported
products except for sole legal distributors/importers.

5. Lot Identification

The lot identification code shall be embossed or otherwise permanently marked on immediate individual
packages or containers.

6. Nutrition Information

Nutrition information may be included on the label or in the labeling provided it conforms to the
requirements of this section.

6.1. The nutrition information shall be presented through the declaration of protein, carbohydrate, fat,
energy value, vitamin and mineral content of the food in tabulated form

6.2. The added nutrients for fortification can be in the form of nature-identical nutrients or in the form of
naturally occurring food containing large amounts of the desired nutrients.

E. STORAGE

The conditions of storage affect the quality of the product. As the temperature increases, the flavor, color
vitamin content and texture of the canned goods deteriorate. The vacuum becomes less and the bacteria
not destroyed in processing may grow as temperature rises. Because of these, the temperature of storage
must be controlled. Storage temperature of 50ºC to 70ºF or 10ºC to 20ºC is sufficient to prevent
deterioration and spoilage. The relative humidity must be kept as low as possible to prevent rusting of cans
and to prevent mold growth. The temperature and relative humidity must not greatly fluctuate.

Products packed in jars should be protected from light because light results in loss of quality and color in
the food.

Canned foods should be inspected periodically to determine immediately if there are springers, bulging of
cans, rusting or broken seals to prevent the ruin of other container in contact with these defective products,
and to detect accurately the real cause of these defects.