According to Revised Rules and Regulations Governing The Labeling of Prepackaged Food Products Further Amending Certain Provisions (AO No. 88-B s 1984) & Rules and Regulations Governing the Labeling of Prepackaged Food Products Distributed in the Philippines (AO No. 2014-0030), and for other purposes, the labels of all prepackaged food shall have to bear the following MANDATORY information:

1. Product name/ name of the food

2. Brand name and/or trademark

3. Complete list of ingredients

4. Net contents or drained weight

5. Name and address of manufacturer, repacker, packer, importer, trader and distributor

6. Country of origin (for imported products)

7. Lot identification

8. Storage conditions

9. Expiry or expiration date/ use-by-date/ consume before date (Recommended: Last consumption date)

a) This shall be declared in the following order: Day, Month and Year. The declaration of the day and year may be in numerical form while the declaration of the month must be in words to avoid confusion (e.g. Expiry date: 01 January 2012 or 01Jan12)

10. Food allergen information

a) Food allergen information on the label of products containing the following but not limited to those listed below must be clearly indicated (e.g. Contains food allergen: egg; or “Allergen Information: may contain ______”/ “Manufactured with equipment that processes _______”; or a similar expression.

b) The following ingredients known to cause hypersensitivity must always be declared:
i. Cereal containing gluten, i.e. wheat, rye, barley, oat, spelt or their hybridized strain and products of these;
ii. Crustaceans and product of these;
iii. Eggs and egg products;
iv. Fish and fish products;
v. Peanuts, soybeans and product of these;
vi. Milk and milk products (lactose included);
vii. Tree nut and nut products;
viii. Sulphite in concentration of 10mg/kg or more;
ix. Such other ingredient as may be included by FDA through appropriate issuance

11. Directions/ Instruction(s) for Use

12. Nutrition facts/ Nutrition information/ Nutritive value

Other labelling information on prepackaged foods are as follows:

1. Alcoholic beverages shall indicate the alcohol content in terms of percentage (%) volume or proof units.

2. Language used shall be either in English or Filipino or a combination thereof.

3. Labeling of irradiated food

References

Republic of the Philippines Department of Health. (1984). Revised Rules and Regulations Governing The Labeling of Prepackaged Food Products Further Amending Certain Provisions (AO No. 88-B s 1984).

Republic of the Philippines Department of Health. (2014). Rules and Regulations Governing the Labeling of Prepackaged Food Products Distributed in the Philippines (AO No. 2014-0030).