At least five Facebook (FB) posts falsely claimed that C2 Green Tea is only for people 19 years old and above.
“Malabo lang sa picture yung C2 pero para sa mga 19 yrs old pataas din siya (It’s blurry in the picture but C2 [Green Tea] is only for people 19 years old and above), part of the posts’ caption claimed.
“Contrary to the claim, C2 Green Tea is not exclusively intended for adults aged 19 and above. The assertion is based on a misunderstanding of the information displayed on the Nutrition Facts label,” Imelda Angeles-Agdeppa, Director IV and Scientist IV of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), told VERA Files Fact Check in an Oct. 16 email.
A photo included in the FB post shows an encircled portion below a C2 bottle’s Nutrition Facts label, which read: “based on RENI 2002, Male 19 to 29 years old” and “Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.” These do not signify age restrictions, Angeles-Agdeppa clarified.
Food manufacturers must include a label showing the specific amount of nutrients, energy, vitamins and minerals in their products, according to the Department of Health’s (DOH) Administrative Order No. 2014-0030.
Local food manufacturers must state – in percentages – how much nutritional value their products provide compared to the recommended energy nutrient intake (RENI). The RENI 2002, which was used in the C2 Green Tea label – states how much energy and nutrient intake is adequate for a person to stay healthy.
By default, food products use RENI values set for males 19-29 years old. If a product is intended for children or women, RENI values for such age groups are used instead, according to the DOH Administrative Order.
Food products are also labeled according to percent daily value (%DV) based on a 2,000 calorie diet. The values, set by the United States’ Food and Drug Administration (U.S. FDA), show how much serving of a product contributes to one’s daily nutrient intake, according to Angeles-Agdeppa.
Foods with a %DV of 5% or less are poor in nutrients, while those with a %DV over 20% have a lot of nutrients, according to the U.S. FDA.
The FB posts by four netizens and FB page Mapadtaya sa kaluma vloger (created on Jan. 16, 2020) garnered a total of over 15,877 interactions.
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(Editor’s Note: VERA Files has partnered with Facebook to fight the spread of disinformation. Find out more about this partnership and our methodology.)
