CEBU CITY – The Department of Science and Technology-Food and National Research Institute have urged parents to buy food products with the “Sangkap Pinoy Seal” as micro-nutrient deficiencies continue to be a health concern especially among children.
DOST-FNRI Senior Science and Research Specialist Marilou Galang said the top three micro-nutrient deficiencies confronting children today are Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA), Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD) and Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD).
Galang said all micro-nutrients are important for children’s growth, health and development and that deficiencies can result to growth retardation, underweight and poor mental health.
“FNRI’s latest survey showed that 20.2% or two out of 10 children aged five years and below are underweight and 33.6% or three out of 10 are under height for their age,” Galang said.
According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Vitamin A causes eye disease, impairs the immune system and raises the severity and mortality risk of measles and diarrheal disease.
UNICEF also warned that lack of iron, which is essential for the production of hemoglobin, can result to IDA. And common symptoms of IDA are paleness, tiredness and frequent headaches and breathlessness.
For IDD, UNICEF said this could cause a range of abnormalities including brain damage and mental retardation. But the most common symptom of IDD is goiter or the swelling of the thyroid gland while in its severe form is cretinism or both mental and physical disability.
Maria Corazon Palompo, DOST-FNRI Science Research Specialist, also said that in order to address the problem of micro-nutrient deficiencies, the government passed the Republic Act 8976 otherwise known as “An Act Establishing the Philippine Food Fortification Program and for other purposes.”
Palompo said the law mandates the fortification of flour, oil and sugar with Vitamin A and flour and rice with iron.
Another is the Sangkap Pinoy Seal Program that calls for the voluntary fortification of processed food products with Vitamin A, iron and iodine, she said.
She said some food products such as noodles, biscuits, breads have already been fortified so these products have the Sangkap Pinoy Seal.
Both Galang and Palompo, who were recently in Cebu for the Nutrition Communication Network media briefing, said parents must first check the food products and choose those with the Sangkap Pinoy Seal because having this means the food products have undergone quality testing with the Bureau of Food and Drugs. (Fayette Riñen)
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