The United Sugar Producers Federation (UNIFED) said Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel has ordered the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) to conduct an audit of imported alternative sweeteners following reports of an alarming volume of premixes have entered the country the last eight years.
UNIFED officials said imports of alternative sweeteners have reached 200,000 to 300,000 metric tons per year.
“This volume of sugar premixes represent about 4 million bags of sugar amounting to roughly P10 billion and the continued lack of regulation for these sugar-based products is highly detrimental to the sugar industry,” said Manuel Lamata, UNIFED president, in a statement.
Lamata said demand for sugar has remained constant in the last 10 years despite the growth of population.
UNIFED said Tiu Laurel ordered SRA administrator Pablo Azcona to “look into the actual volumes of other sugars coming into the country and if warranted, require them to acquire clearances as well.”
The groups said under tariff code 17.02 of the Asean Harmonized Tariff Nomenclature, only high fructose corn syrup is being strictly regulated while other sugars like glucose, sucrose, maltose, dextrose, maltodextrin and lactose among others are not being regulated.
