Nourishment on every plate: How cross-sector partnerships are making healthy food achievable for all

Improving nutrition is no longer just about encouraging healthier choices—it is about making those choices easier, more accessible, and more practical for Filipino families. Addressing the Philippines’ ongoing nutrition challenges requires removing the barriers families often face, from low nutrition literacy to limited affordability and physical access.

Photo: Monde Nissin Corporation

​Recognizing that building healthier food systems takes more than product innovation, Monde Nissin recently convened leaders across nutrition, community development, and industry for “The Better Food Conversation: Nourishment on Every Filipino Plate.”

The panel featured Dr. Clarissa Juanico, president of the Philippine Stakeholders for Nutrition and Dietetics; Cloyd Masaudling, executive director of Aguhon Movement for Governance; Jo Sebastian, registered nutritionist-dietitian and content creator; and Olive Misa, a lawyer and head of corporate and government affairs at Monde Nissin Corporation.

Photo: Monde Nissin Corporation

​The event brought together key stakeholders from the Philippine food and nutrition sector, including representatives from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Agriculture (DA), Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI), Philippine Association of Nutrition, Nutritionist Dietitians’ Association of the Philippines Foundation, Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Business Network, and the University of the Philippines Los Baños.

​Panelists explored the realities shaping daily household food choices and reinforced the need for evidence-based nutrition communication. They agreed that creating healthier environments requires sustained cross-sector collaboration across government, academia, civil society, and the private sector.

Photo: Monde Nissin Corporation

​”Better nutrition is not only about knowing what to eat. It is also about whether families can afford the food, find it where they usually shop, and understand how it fits into their everyday meals,” said Kevin Carpio, nutrition advocacy manager at Monde Nissin.

​”When every sector works together, we can create environments where healthier choices are not only available, but also accessible and achievable for everyone,” added Dr. Juanico.

​Sebastian also highlighted the need to empower consumers through practical guidance, saying, “We need to focus on making additions rather than restrictions. Something as simple as adding cabbage and an egg to instant noodles can make a difference. These small additions matter because they help us get the nutrition we need without making healthy eating feel impossible.”

A long-term commitment to better food

Photo: Monde Nissin Corporation

​Monde Nissin also launched its flagship nutrition advocacy: Better Food Forward (BFF). Designed to bring better food within reach of Filipino families, the initiative unites science, product innovation, education, and multi-sector partnerships around three pillars: products, programs, and partnerships.

​Carpio emphasized that BFF represents Monde Nissin’s long-term commitment to measurable action, acknowledging that no single entity can solve systemic nutrition issues alone.

​Monde Nissin highlighted several key milestones already achieved across its product lines:

• ​73% of company revenue comes from fortified products.
• 32% of products feature reduced sodium levels.
• 100% of the portfolio is trans-fat-free.
• 2025 Impact: Distributed two billion servings of Vitamin A, three billion servings of iron, and 542 million servings of Vitamin C to Filipino consumers.

Photo: Monde Nissin Corporation

​To guide future product development ahead of its 2030 portfolio expansion goals, the company introduced the Monde Nissin nutrition criteria—a science-based internal benchmark. Key active projects include sodium reduction, proprietary air-fried noodle technology that lowers fat and calories, and expanded nutrient fortification.

​”Today’s launch is not the endpoint. It is an invitation to continue the conversation and identify where our respective expertise, reach, and capabilities can complement one another,” stated Rico Gonzales, Monde Nissin’s chief business officer. “At the heart of this journey is one simple belief: better food should always be within reach, not just for some, but for every family.”