How QC's calorie labeling rule will change resto menus

MANILA, Philippines — Restaurants in Quezon City will soon revamp their menus to include calorie counts as part of the local government's rollout the first phase of its ordinance. Here are key changes to expect.

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Instead of simply listing a dish’s name, price, and sometimes its ingredients, menus must now prominently display calorie counts—measured in kilocalories (kcal)—in a font size relatively equal to that of the dish's name. Kilocalories are commonly referred to as simply "calories."

Calories will be expressed either per serving, per total servings, or per combination meal. The recommended daily calorie requirement should also be made available to consumers should they request it. 

While menus are not required to indicate nutrient details such as carbohydrates, protein, total fat, trans fat, saturated fat, sugar and sodium, the ordinance mandates food establishments to provide this information through printed or digital materials.

These must be available upon request, with menus indicating that additional nutrition information can be accessed. 

The Quezon City government plans to enforce the calorie labeling rule in three phases over three years. The first phase targets food establishments with at least five branches in the city. The goal is to complete this phase by December 2025.

The second phase will extend the requirement to businesses with two to four branches, including hotels regardless of their number of locations.

By the third year, all restaurants and food establishments must display the health information, except for barangay micro business enterprises (BMBEs) and micro, small or medium enterprises (MSMEs).

However, the ordinance’s recently signed implementing rules and regulations (IRR) indicate that exempted establishments voluntarily providing nutrition information such as the calorie count will be granted incentives.

These benefits include online promotion, capital assistance, packaging and labeling consultations, as well as an opportunity for capacity building and training on calorie labeling and other incentives.

The Quezon City Health Department will spearhead the ordinance's implementation, overseeing the preparation of a budget