Month: September 2022

Brazil – New nutrition labeling regulations take effect in 30 days

/ infoAlimentario

There are 30 days left for the new food labeling regulations to come into force. As of October 9, 2022, products launched on the market will already have to have labels that comply with the new rules.

For products already on the market, there are different adaptation deadlines (see timeline below). Among the main changes is the adoption of front-of-pack nutrition labeling, in addition to changes in the table of nutrition information and claims.

The labeling changes were established by Resolution of the Collegiate Directive Council (RDC) 429 and Normative Instruction (IN) 75, published in October 2020. The objective of the standards is to improve the clarity and legibility of food labels and, in doing so, help consumers make more conscious food choices.

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

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Mexico – Published Decree amending several provisions of the Regulations for the Sanitary Control of Products and Services and the Regulations of the General Health Law on Advertising

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Articles 2, section VIII Bis; 9, section IV; 13; 15; 25, section VI and second paragraph; 25 Bis, and 160, section II are AMENDED; Articles 2, with sections VIII Bis 1; VIII Bis 2; XI Bis 1; 11 Bis; 25, with a last paragraph, are ADDED; 25 Bis 1; 25 Bis 2; 25 Bis 3 and 25 Bis 4, and repealing section IX Bis of article 2, the third and fourth paragraphs of article 25 and the second paragraph of article 210 of the Regulation of Sanitary Control of Products and Services.

The decree adds Article 25 bis to the Regulation on Sanitary Control of Products and Services. It now establishes that: “The labeling of prepackaged food and non-alcoholic beverages (…) must include the front labeling system as established by the corresponding standard and must not use any other”.

Articles 22 Bis; 79, section X and 80, sections VI and VII are AMENDED; Articles 6, with section I Bis; 24 Bis and 80, with section VIII, are ADDED; and section VI of Article 86 of the Regulation of the General Health Law on Advertising is ABOLISHED.

The amendment to Article 22 bis establishes that the advertising of food and non-alcoholic beverages will be subject to permit by the Ministry of Health when the label of the products includes the front labeling system.

For further information, you can access the original source in Spanish
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Dominican Republic – Draft law on nutritional information on food products

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The Chamber of Deputies is considering a bill to place nutritional information labels on certain foods that could cause non-communicable diseases such as obesity.
The bill was presented by the deputy of the People’s Force, Lourdes Serulle, who reintroduced it after failing in the last legislature.
The labels would be placed on all industrial and manufactured products and the Ministry of Public Health would be the entity in charge.

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

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Honduras – Central America seeks to tackle malnutrition with front warning labels

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According to data from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), about 44% of annual deaths in the Americas, around 3.1 million people, are caused by arterial hypertension, fasting hyperglycemia, obesity and overweight.

According to the specialized agency, poor nutrition is largely due to the widespread availability and marketing of processed and ultra-processed foods and beverages, all of which contain excessive sugars, fats and sodium.

In this context, and as a measure to reduce public health problems associated with non-communicable diseases, more governments in the region are implementing laws and regulations aimed at reducing the demand and supply of products containing excessive amounts of critical nutrients, as sugars, fats and sodium are classified.

At the regional level, the authorities of Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama and the Dominican Republic have shown their interest in promoting legislation related to Front-of-Line Nutrition Labeling.

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

Brazil – ANVISA identifies noncompliance with flour fortification standards

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More than 30% of the flours analyzed in 2019, 2020 and 2021 had iron outside the limits established by legislation.

The National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA in Portuguese) regulated the mandatory fortification of wheat and corn flours with iron and folic acid, by means of a resolution published in 2002, and updated by Resolution (RDC) 604/2022.

Fortified wheat and corn flours must contain, until the expiration date, 4 mg to 9 mg of iron per 100 g of product and 140 µg to 220 µg of folic acid per 100 g of product. The report presents the results of monitoring the fortification of wheat and corn flours with iron and folic acid from samples of these flours collected in the Brazilian market in 2020 and 2021.

The results for iron content in wheat and corn flours show that about 25% of the analyses performed in 2020 and 2021 showed amounts of this nutrient outside the established limits. For folic acid, in 2021, more than half (51%) of the flours analyzed had a content outside the defined limits. The percentage of unsatisfactory results for flour labeling requirements was also high.

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