With the aim of deepening economic deregulation and reducing the bureaucratic burden on the industry, the Government sent a bill to Congress that seeks to repeal the current Front Labeling Law (27.642).

The Front Labeling Law, enacted in 2021, established the obligation to include black warning labels on food and beverage packaging that exceeded certain critical levels of sugars, sodium, saturated fats, total fats, and calories. Its main objective was to provide clear and quick information to consumers at the time of making their purchases, allowing for a more informed choice.

The National Government argues that the repeal and review of the law aim to reduce regulatory burdens and move toward a “less interventionist” framework for the private sector. National officials maintain that some requirements generated additional costs for companies and operational difficulties, especially for small and medium-sized food industries. In line with this, business sectors linked to food production had repeatedly expressed concerns about the economic impact of the implementation and the need to harmonize criteria with international regulations.

The initiative involves the elimination of various central aspects of the current system:

• Removal of the black warning octagons.
• End of advertising restrictions related to foods with labels.
• Removal of restrictions in school environments.
• Suppression of restrictions on children’s characters on packaging.
  
  

The Government maintains that the current scheme, based on parameters driven by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), presents difficulties that affect both consumer interpretation and the functioning of various productive sectors. For the authorities, the current regulations do not take into account aspects such as:

• Nutritional density.
• The degree of processing.
• The role of food within the dietary pattern.
• The portions consumed.
• The technological particularities of each category.

Additionally, the Government also questions the lack of regional harmonization regarding front labeling within Mercosur. The project warns that regulatory differences between the countries in the bloc create operational complications for companies, forcing them to produce differentiated packaging according to the destination market.
According to the Executive, this situation particularly impacts Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), which face higher fixed compliance costs. The project proposes that the law would come into effect from the day of its publication in the Official Gazette. It would involve the removal of black warning octagons and the restrictions associated.