Some people say that the labeling requirements for imported meat products in the Philippines vary by product category, for example: processed meat products and other frozen and chilled meat products are subject to different labeling requirements. Is this really the case? Foodmate reveals how the Philippines actually requires this through this article.

1. Different regulatory agencies clarify labeling requirements

According to DA Joint Administrative Circular 2016 “Transfer of Function in the Regulation of Processed Meat”, the following rules was made:

(1) The DA-NMIS(the National Meat Inspection Service under of Department of Agriculture) shall have jurisdiction over meat. Meat refers to fresh, chilled or frozen edible carcass including offal derived from food animals intended for commercial distribution.

(2)The DOH-FDA(the Food and Drug Administration under Department of Health) shall have jurisdiction over processed meat. Processed Meat refers to meat that has undergone processing, including but not limited to heating, smoking, curing, drying, marinating, or combination of those processes that alter the meat's chemical composition intended for commercial distribution.

(3)The DA-NMIS and DOH-FDA shall require the proper labelling of products under their respective jurisdiction as provided under existing laws, rules and regulations, and standards.

2. Labeling requirements for meat

In this regard, BAI-NMIS Joint Memorandum Circular No. 1 Series of 2021"Guidelines on the Strict Implementation of the Minimum Labeling Requirements for imported Meat" should be firstly referred to, which states that imported meat must comply with the minimum labelling requirements, and the detailed labeling requirements are specified in DA Administrative Order (AO) No. 26 Series of 2005 “Revised Rules, Regulations, And Standards Governing The importation Of Meat And Meat Products Into The Philippines” and DA AO No. 24 S 2010“General Guidelines On Labeling Of Meat And Meat Products” respectively, the mandatory label information including:

(1)Registered trade name of the exporter or brand name of the product;

(2)Business name and address of the exporter:

(3)Country of origin;

(4)Lot identification;

(5)Product description and list of ingredients;

(6)Net quantity of contents, in terms of weight, measure or numerical count rounded to the nearest tenths (expressed in METRIC SYSTEM);

(7)Date of manufacture and packaging:

(8)Date of minimum durability ("best before") or expiration date;

(9)Handling and storage instructions.

3. Labeling requirements for Processed Meat

Labels of all prepackaged food products (including Processed Meat) must comply to the mandatory labelling information stated in AO No. 2014-0030 “Revised Rules And Regulations Governing The Labeling of Prepackaged Food Products Further Amending Certain Provisions of Administrative Order No, 88-B s. 1984 or the “Rules and Regulations Governing the Labeling of Prepackaged Food Products Distributed in the Philippines,” and For Other Purposes”.  

The mandatory labeling information required by this regulation includes:

(1)Product Name/ Name of the Food;

(2)Use of Brand Name and/or Trademark;

(3)Complete List of Ingredients;

(4)Net Contents and Drained Weight;

(5)Name and address of importer;

(6)Country of origin;

(7)Lot Identification;

(8)Storage Condition;

(9)Expiry or Expiration Date/ Use-by-date/ Consume Before Date (Recommended last consumption date);

(10)Food Allergen Information;

(11)Direction/ Instruction(s) for Use;

(12)Nutrition Facts / Nutrition Information/ Nutritive Value.

4. Summary

From the above we can know: the labeling requirements for meat and processed meat products are different: the labeling requirements for processed meat products focus on providing consumers with more nutritional and safety information; while meat products mainly consider the source of the meat itself and storage safety, etc. Therefore, companies can design product labels according to the actual category to which the product belongs. In this regard, you can contact Foodmate for a label audit to ensure that it meets the regulatory requirements of the Philippines.