The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA in Portuguese) published Ordinance No. 458, which dispenses with the obligation to indicate the expiration date on packaged fresh vegetables. The new ordinance modifies Normative Instruction No. 69/2018 and complies with Resolution RDC No. 259/2002 of the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa), which already provided for the waiver of this information.

The secretary of Agricultural Defense of the Map, José Guilherme Leal, explains that the measure is important in the fight against food waste, because tons of fruit are lost annually in Brazil due to the expiration date, however, without being suitable for the consumption. “The expiration date that appeared on the packaging was not related to the quality of the product, since the consumer himself is able to see if a vegetable product is suitable for consumption only by visual appearance,” said Leal. When buying fresh vegetables, the consumer can identify if they are rotten, withered or smelly, that is, if they are not good for consumption.