16th Session
18-21 April 2023 (physical plenary meeting)
26 April 2023 (virtual report adoption)
Month: April 2023
Argentina – Amendment to the Argentine Food Code on Steviol Glycosides from Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni published
The Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries and the Secretariat of Health Quality by Joint Resolution 7/2023 published an amendment to item 64.3 of article 1.398 on Steviol Glycosides in the Argentine Food Code.
64.3 STEVIOL GLYCOSIDES:
Steviol Glycosides from Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni (INS 960a): Steviol glycosides consist of a mixture of compounds containing a steviol skeleton conjugated with any number or combination of the major sugar residues (glucose, rhamnose, xylose, fructose, arabinose, galactose, and deoxyglucose) in any of the orientations found in the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni. The product is obtained from Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni leaves with hot water and the aqueous extract is passed through an adsorption resin to trap and concentrate the steviol glycoside component. The resin is washed with a solvent alcohol to release the glycosides and the product is recrystallized in methanol or aqueous ethanol. Ion exchange resins can be used in the purification process. The final product can be spray dried.
Description: White to light yellow powder, odorless or with a slight characteristic odor. Approximately 200 300 times sweeter than sucrose.
Argentina – Amendment to the Argentine Food Code on additives allowed in alcoholic beverages
The Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries and the Secretariat of Health Quality, by means of Joint Resolution 10/2023, published in the Argentine Food Code an amendment to article 1136 on the list of additives allowed in the production of alcoholic beverages, with the exception of fermented beverages.
When two or more additives with assigned maximum numerical concentrations are authorized for a given function, the sum of the amounts to be used in a food may not exceed the maximum amount corresponding to the additive permitted in greater quantity and the amount of each additive may not exceed its individual limit.
Article – Expiration date of perishable foods: evaluation of compliance with current legal regulations in large Venezuelan supermarkets
Introduction: The expiration date indicates the useful life of the food, offering from its packaging not only a health alert, but also a sensory and nutritional quality of the product. As in Venezuela it is mandatory legal compliance for manufacturers and
retailers to make this information visible on the packages. Objective: Evaluate their current level of compliance.
Materialand method: Seven establishments from five large supermarket chains were visited, where the proper use or not of theexpiration declaration on highly perishable products such as meat, dairy products and eggs was evaluated. Results: 6066packages or containers were verified, corresponding to 2022 food products of different commercial brands where 40.10%(n=811) managed to adhere to faithful compliance with health regulations, but not 59.89% (n=1211) complementary. The lowest compliance was 4.88% (n=26) in meat products packaged in the same supermarket, as well as 22.06% (n=62) in dairy
products also handled and repackaged in the establishment.
Conclusion: A large public health problem is detected in non- compliance with the declaration of expiration of food, which requires orchestrated work between authorities, manufacturers, distributors and consumers to reduce all possible associated risks.
Article – Healthy taxes in Colombia: reorienting public policies based on the human right to adequate food
Healthy taxes are levied on products that are harmful to health, such as ultra-processed products and sugar-sweetened beverages, whose high consumption has been associated with the prevalence of non-communicable diseases and even environmental damage. Thus, these measures have taken on public health relevance to address various forms of malnutrition.
However, their political discussion should transcend the scope of a short-term economic objective, placing the vision of the human right to adequate food at the center of the debate.
infoAlimentario 