BY: FAYETTE C. RIÑEN
CEBU CITY, June 6 (PIA) -- Parents are urged to buy food products with the ‘Sangkap Pinoy” seal as micronutrient deficiencies continue to be a health concern especially among Filipino children, the Department of Science and Technology - Food and National Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) said.
DOST-FNRI Senior Science and Research Specialist Marilou Galang bared the top three micronutrient deficiencies confronting Filipino children today are Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA), Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD) and Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD).
Galang said all micronutrients are important for growth, health and development and deficiencies can result to growth retardation, underweight and poor mental health.
“FNRI’s latest survey showed that 20.2 percent or two out of 10 children aged five years and below are underweight and 33.6 percent 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 likewise warned that lack of iron which is essential for the production of hemoglobin, can result to IDA. Common symptoms of IDA are paleness, tiredness and frequent headaches and breathlessness, stated the UNICEF.
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.
Ma. Corazon Palompo, science research specialist of the DOST-FNRI said that in order to address the problem, the government came up with RA 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 (SPSP) that calls for the voluntary fortification of processed food products with Vitamin A, iron and iodine, disclosed Palompo. Some food products such as noodles, biscuits, breads have already been fortified so these products have the ‘Sangkap Pinoy’ (SP) seal, said Palompo.
Both Galang and Palompo advised that parents must first check the food products and choose wisely the ones with the label of the SP. Products having the SP seal have undergone quality testing with the Bureau of Food and Drugs, said Palompo.
Both DOST-FNRI science research specialists were recently in Cebu for the Nutrition Communication Network (NUTRICOMNET) media briefing. (mbcn/fcr/PIA-7)