Argentina – Published amendments to the Argentine Food Code on coffee

13/08/2022 / infoAlimentario

By means of Joint Resolution 4/2022, the Secretariat of Health Quality and Secretariat of Food, Bioeconomics and Regional Development published the modification of Article 1.174 of the Argentine Food Code (CAA) in order to allow the use of flavoring/flavorings other than coffee flavor/flavor in products called Soluble Coffee, Instant Coffee, Coffee Powder Extract and Coffee Powder Concentrate. A review was also carried out on the relevance of contemplating the addition of flavoring/flavorings in the products described in articles 1.165, 1.166, 1.174 bis, 1.170, 1.171, 1.174 and 1.175 of the Argentine Food Code (CAA), referring to other types of coffee.

For further information, you can access the original source in Spanish

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Colombia: PAHO congratulates the Ministry of Health for its efforts in food labeling

13/08/2022 / infoAlimentario

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) congratulated the Ministry of Health and Social Protection (MinSalud) for advancing the process of labeling processed foods.
Through its Twitter account, the PAHO delegation in Colombia assured that this modification is an advance in public health in the country.

“PAHO congratulates the authorities for the publication of the new front labeling resolution that modifies Resolution 810. It is a great advance in the prevention of obesity in Colombia,” said the agency.

For further information, you can access the original source in Spanish

Argentina: Ultra-pasteurized cream of milk incorporated into the Food Code

04/08/2022 / infoAlimentario

Joint Resolution 3/2022 includes Article 585 bis to the Argentine Food Code (CAA), which will be worded as follows: “Article 585 bis: The name Ultrapasteurized Milk Cream means the dairy product relatively rich in fat, separated from milk by technologically appropriate procedures, which takes the form of an emulsion of fat in water. It must be subjected for at least 2 seconds to a minimum temperature of 138°C, or any equivalent time-temperature combination, by a continuous flow thermal process, immediately cooled to less than 5°C and packed in suitable hermetically sealed containers.

Ultra-pasteurized milk cream is classified -according to its fat content and according to item 5 of this article- into:

(a) Low-fat cream, or Light cream or Semi-cream.

b) Cream.

c) High fat cream.

For further information, you can access the original source in Portuguese

Colombia: Draft amendment to Resolution 810 on front-of-package warning labels

04/08/2022 / infoAlimentario

The Ministry of Health published the draft resolution that modifies Resolution 810 of 2021, which establishes the nutritional and front labeling requirements that must be met by packaged foods for human consumption in Colombia.

The Ministry of Health, in order to comply with the requirements of Article 5 of Law 2120 of 2021, delegated a study developed by the University of Antioquia through an experimental study that analyzed all relevant variables in this type of labeling and showed that the text “EXCESS IN” is the one that best suits the needs invoked by public health, therefore, it was decided to adopt the methodology of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to define the foods to be included and the levels to be included in the front labeling.

The Ministry of Health also emphasizes that this model has inclusion criteria for critical nutrients (free sugars, sodium, saturated fats, total fats and trans fatty acids) based on the nutrient intake targets for the general population established by the WHO to prevent obesity and non-communicable diseases.

Likewise, the portfolio specified that those companies that have already included the circular seal on their products will have six months to use up the existing labels. “If after this time they still have labels with the initial provisions, they may authorize the exhaustion before the Invima,” said MinSalud.
In the bill that has already been published for comments, the labels appear as follows:

It will be 15 days in national consultation and then must receive concept of the Ministry of Commerce, to be submitted to international consultation for a period of 60 days, said the current Minister of Health Fernando Ruiz. It is expected that by December the final decree will be issued to modify Resolution 810 with the octagonal labeling, so it will be the government of Gustavo Petro, headed by Minister Carolina Corcho, that will adopt the regulation.

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Mexico – Opinion: Front-of-package warning label work and industry doesn’t like them

04/08/2022 / infoAlimentario

The octagons on the packaging of industrialized foods and beverages that warn about the high content of harmful ingredients are effective, according to scientific studies. Despite this – or perhaps because of it – the industry seeks to slow down the second stage of labeling implementation in Mexico.