Lapid bill seeks ban on staple wires in food packages

Staple foods should not literally contain staples.

This was the observation of actor-turned-politician Sen. Lito Lapid, who broached the idea of banning the use of staple wires in food packaging.

Citing health hazards, Lapid filed Senate Bill No. 2239, which would penalize violators from hotel managers down to sidewalk vendors with fines ranging from P5,000 to P50,000 or imprisonment of up to six months if convicted.

"Convenient, fast and practical as it may appear, the use of staple wires for packing food is definitely a health hazard. It runs the risk of getting mixed and consumed with the food without getting noticed or, in some cases, the staple wires become rusty as a result of exposure to the elements," Lapid said.

In his explanatory note, he added this "simple piece of legislation can be considered worthwhile and meaningful even if it only saves the life of a single Filipino."

Once enacted into law, Lapid said the act would be known as the "Staple Wires on Food Items Prohibition Act of 2006."

It prohibits the use of wires or any other similar form of metal objects as a medium for closing and sealing food items within packaging and provides penalties for violating the proposed law.

The coverage of the law would include all food sellers comprised of hotels, restaurants, food chains, food manufacturers, canteens, markets, stores, vendors and other similar establishments engaged in the activity of selling or producing food items, whether or not it is a registered business entity under existing laws.

If the violation is committed by a corporation, association or partnership, the penalty shall be imposed upon the directors, president or managing partners, according to Lapid’s proposal.

The bill, however, does not mention if a crackdown would be conducted by police once the measure becomes a law, and whether or not an offender could be detained for violating it.

Earlier, actor-turned-senator Bong Revilla criticized the House of Representatives for passing laws dealing mostly with renaming streets and road conversion.