BFAD: There’s no such thing as “junk food”

JUNK the term “junk food.” The Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) nutritionists are saying that even “junk foods” are good sources of calorie.

“We do not have any classification whether a food is ‘junk’ or not,” Sonia Aqui, supervisor of BFAD’s Licensing and Regulation Division, told the Varsitarian. “As long as it is safe for consumption, the food is registered and approved by BFAD. It is up to the manufacturers if they want their products fortified with nutrients.”

Candies and cooking oil crackers lack nutritional content such as protein, vitamins, or minerals. But these empty-calorie foods are still registered as “safe for eating” by the BFAD. In developing countries where malnutrition is common, newer fortification methods are sought so that cheap and easily available empty-calorie foods are given nutritional content.

Fortification, the process of adding nutrients to food products, can be as simple as mixing a nutrient to an empty calorie food, like iodine and salt, to adding vitamin A to rice using coating treatment to minimize nutrient loss when washing the rice.

“Nutritional surveys conducted by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) identified the prevalence of iron, iodine, and vitamin A deficiency among preschool children,” said Prof. Evelyn Ladines, Food Technology Department chairperson of the College of Education. “This is why nutrients like iron, iodine, and vitamin A are added in food products.”

In a nutritional survey in 2003 conducted by the FNRI and DOST, malnutrition among Filipino children aged 0-5 years old is prevalent at 27 per cent, while 25.6 per cent of children aged 6-10 are underweight. In addition, 15 per cent of pre-adolescents and adolescents aged 11-19 years old are underweight.

Although the figures are alarming, malnutrition among these age groups has decreased compared to a similar DOST survey in 1998. This is due to the food fortification programs launched by the Department of Health (DOH) popularized as “Sangkap Pinoy Seal” (SPS) in 1996. The program was strengthened by Republic Act No. 8976, or the Philippine Food Fortification Act of 2000.

Under SPS, a diamond-shaped seal that can be seen in staple food products like cooking oil, flour, salt, and sugar indicate that these are fortified as mandated by the DOH; while the rectangular-shaped SPS mark found in packages of snack foods, drinks, noodles, condiments, and other processed foods means they are healthy.

“Manufacturers file voluntary applications for the fortification of their registered and approved products,” Aqui said. “The nutrients fortified in their products are at levels approved by the DOH.”

The SPS program is based on the global fortification guidelines of the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). As recommended by FAO, iodine is fortified in salts by mixing chemical forms of iodine to table salt. Iron is added to common household foods like milk products, cereal, and cookies.

Meanwhile, Vitamin A is fortified in margarine, milk, oils, and instant noodles. Vitamin A is affected by high moisture content so the fortification process is saved through water-absorbing salt used to soak up the excess water in places with high humidity. There is even a new encapsulated Vitamin A fortificant that serves as a moisture barrier.

Almost all snack foods in the Philippines are already fortified with iron, iodine, and Vitamin A.

“Since snack foods and similar products are widely available and easily accessible, these are the usual products fortified with nutrients to make them healthier,” Prof. Eva Olarte, Nutrition and Dietetic Department chairperson of the UST College of Education, said.

According to FNRI guidelines, essential nutrients that are deficient in the diet are added proportional to one third of the recommended daily allowance (RDA). Vitamin C in fruit juices or flavored drinks should supply not less than 100 per cent of the RDA, while other vitamins like vitamin A, D, E, and K should not exceed 150 per cent of the RDA.

“Nutrients like iodine and vitamins can be incorporated in the diet through food fortification,” Ladines said.

“Fresh” food

While processed food products are generally safe to eat, nutrition educators agree that too much consumption of products with preservatives is unhealthy.

While not all additives to preserve the freshness and taste of food are artificially produced, intake should be minimized. Best known natural food additives are sugar, salt, and lemon juice.

“There are permissible levels of food additives considered safe, but beyond this, it would be unhealthy,” Olarte said.

Moderation should always be observed when eating processed and empty calorie foods, experts said. In fact, eating too much of them can be addictive.

In a December 2005 Newsweek article, Dr. Neal Barnard of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine said that certain foods with sugar and fat are plainly addictive because these foods can cause the brain to release chemicals in the brain’s pleasure center that keeps the person hooked on eating sweet and fatty foods.

In a study by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, the urban population is found to consider taste and convenience more than the health and nutrition of a food. Large amounts of processed foods that are poor in nutrients make the person easily hungry, so the tendency is to eat more. High-fat, high-salt, and high-sugar diets and lifestyles are key ingredients for malnutrition and even obesity.

Expert nutritionists agree that although fortified calorie foods can be good food as snacks, they are junk enough for a meal.