Mexico – The regulation of nootropics in Mexico: Analysis from the perspective of the food and beverage industry

In Mexico, nootropics are not specifically regulated, which means that there is no list of substances that are permitted or prohibited.

However, the Comisión Federal para la Protección contra Riesgos Sanitarios (COFEPRIS) has established general regulations for foods and food supplements, which include nootropics.

According to these regulations, any substance added to a food or food supplement must be authorized and have a safe dosage, in addition, manufacturers must clearly label ingredients and product dosages, and must comply with Good Manufacturing Practices.

This means that food and beverage manufacturers wishing to add nootropics to their products must ensure that they comply with these regulations to avoid sanctions by COFEPRIS.

Article – Food fraud: Past, present and future

Food adulteration and food fraud is as old as food production and processing however, it is increasingly prevalent today. With globalization and increasingly complex food production and distribution systems, adulteration can occur at different points in the food chain and may have far-reaching impacts and even adverse consequences for human health. The international community’s regulatory approaches to confronting and resolving food fraud are scattered and in constant adjustment. A collective and coordinated approach is needed to identify all stakeholders in the food supply chain, certify and qualify them, exclude those who do not meet applicable standards, and trace food in real time. This update provides definitions and background on key concepts associated with food integrity, episodes of food fraud in Chile and the world, main foods vulnerable to food fraud, common fraud practices and analytical techniques, regulations and new actions in Chile and the world to face food safety and the risk of food fraud.

Ecuador – Draft adoption of NTE INEN-ISO 19036 Microbiology of the food chain estimation of measurement uncertainty for quantitative determinations (ISO 19036:2019, IDT)

The Ecuadorian Standardization Service (INEN in Spanish) published in public consultation the Draft adoption NTE INEN-ISO 19036 Microbiology of the food chain estimation of measurement uncertainty for quantitative determinations (ISO 19036:2019, IDT).

Argentina – Project on Sanitary Registration of food exporting companies

The National Administration of Medicines, Food and Medical Technology (ANMAT in Spanish) published the ANMAT-ALI-EXP 001-00 project on Sanitary Registration of Food Exporting Companies.

Brazil – MAPA approves new ham quality and identity standards

The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA in Portuguese) published Ordinance No. 765 approving the new Technical Regulations of Identity and Quality (RTIQ in Portuguese) for cooked ham, superior cooked ham, tender cooked ham and poultry stew.

The new standards apply to the types of cooked ham that are produced and seek to give identity to the products, guarantee their safety and innocuousness, as well as standardize understandings and meet the requirements of the production sector.

Among the improvements is the definition of 25% as the maximum limit of collagen present in relation to the total protein of the final product in order to maintain the quality of the meat raw materials used, as well as the characteristics of the product. For cooked poultry ham, the amount of collagen in relation to total protein must be a maximum of 10%.