QC restaurants to start showing calorie counts on menus

Don't be surprised if you see calories displayed on menus of Quezon City restaurants.

Mayor Joy Belmonte just signed an ordinance requiring restaurants, fast food chains, and other food establishments operating in the city to publish the number of calories of food items on their menu.

According to a press statement from the LGU, the move is to help residents make informed food choices.

“Nais nating maging ligtas ang ating QCitizens sa non-communicable diseases. Kapag may calorie labeling, may kapangyarihan ang Qcitizen na pumili ng masustansyang pagkain dahil hawak nila ang tamang impormasyon (With calorie labeling, QCitizens have the power to make healthier food choices because they have the correct information),” said Mayor Belmonte in a statement.

According to data obtained from the QC Health Department, 19.9% of school-age children and 43.0% of adults were found to be overweight and obese in 2018. Meanwhile, nearly 1 in 5 adult Quezon City residents have high blood pressure. 

Atty Sophia San Luis, executive director of public interest law group ImagineLaw, said this is the first of its kind of the country.

"We hope that QC inspires more cities and municipalities to do the same," she added.

Quezon City will implement the new ordinance in phases, beginning with restaurants or food businesses that are part of a chain or franchise with five or more branches in the country.

On the second year of implementation, the ordinance will cover businesses with two or more branches.

On the 3rd year, it will cover it will cover all restaurants or food businesses. Barangay micro businesses and micro, small, and medium enterprises like ambulant vendors, hawkers and carinderia owners are exempted from the ordinance but Belmonte said these businesses will be given an incentive should they choose to follow the ordinance. 

— LA, GMA Integrated News