In order for local ethnic food manufacturers to be competitive inside and outside the country and for them to be able to pass global standards, they must comply with some quality requirements.

Ethnic foods are any food products that use indigenous raw materials, ingredients or beverages that have a particular association or closely identified with the country or place of origin.

According to Atty. Wilfredo Clemente of the Business Regulation and Consumer Welfare Division of DTI-Benguet, the Consumer Act of the Philippines or RA 7394 and the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act or RA 3720 strictly imposes measures to be followed by food manufacturers.

Clemente added that all food products shall also be prepared in accordance with regulations of the Bureau of Food and Drugs of the Department of Health even if these are ethnic foods or delicacies.  The DOH Administrative Order 2005-0018 furnished by Clemente to this writer states that; all ingredients of ethnic products shall be clean, of optimum quality and fit for human consumption. Food additives, when used shall be in accordance with BFAD regulations, the product shall be free from objectionable matter such as microorganisms, parasites and shall not contain any substance originating from microorganisms in amounts which may represent a hazard to health.

To ensure that the consumable goods fit well with international food control laws and in line with the government’s effort to upgrade the quality of such products, the DOH-A.O. states that food manufacturers must conform to BFAD’s Good Manufacturing Practices.

The guideline states that ethnic foods shall be packed in suitable packaging material and each container shall be labeled and marked in accordance with BFAD labeling regulations.

Since most ethnic food products are different from most common food commodities that other countries are familiar with, the DOH through its BFAD office can provide interested local food manufacturers with a manual containing the detailed guidelines on all specific food products.

The strict imposition and adoption of these standards would guarantee consistent product quality and better competitiveness for the processors, and ensure safety and fair trade for consumers.

Art Tibaldo is Regional Information Officer of the Department of Trade & Industry.

Tags: business regulation, food manufacturers, small business

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