OBJECTIVE: To analyze the implementation of front-of-pack nutrition labeling (FOPNL) in Mexico.
DESIGN: Review of publicly accessible documents, including legislative websites, news sources, and government, inter-governmental, and advocacy reports. Usage of the policy cycle model to analyze the implementation and evaluation stages of Mexico’s General Health Law, amended with FOPNL (2019-2022).
RESULTS: In October 2019, the government published a draft modification of the Norma Oficial Mexicana (Official Mexican Standard) to regulate and enforce a new FOPNL warning label system. A 60-day public consultation period followed (October-December 2019) and the regulation was published in March 2020 and implementation began in October 2020. An analysis of nine key provisions of the Standard revealed that the food and beverage industry and its allies weakened some original provisions including health claims, warnings for added sweeteners, and display areas. On the other hand, local and international public health groups maintained key regulations including the ban on cartoon character advertisements, standardized portions, and nutrient criteria following international best practices. Early implementation appears to have high compliance and helped contribute to reformulating unhealthy products. Continued barriers to implementation include industry efforts to create double fronts and market their cartoon characters on social media and through digitalized marketing.
CONCLUSION: Early success in implementing the new FOPNL system in Mexico was the result of an inclusive and participatory regulatory process dedicated to maintaining public health advances, local and international health advocacy support, and continued monitoring. Other countries proposing and enacting FOPNL should learn from the Mexican experience to maintain scientifically proven best practices, counter industry barriers and minimize delays in implementation.
Month: August 2023
Costa Rica – Ministry of Health issues statement ordering not to display nutrition warning labels on foods
The Directorate of Regulation of Products of Health Interest of the Ministry of Health ordered importers and distributors to hide the nutritional warning labels, usually contained in imported products, which warn about high contents of fats, saturated fats, sodium or sugars in the packaging of these products.
This is stated in the circular MS-DRPIS-UR-1588-2023 of June 22nd, of which Delfino.cr has a copy and whose authenticity was confirmed with the digital signatures of Priscilla Herrera García, director of the Registration Unit; and Andrea Morales Fiesler, head of the Registration Unit.
Brasil – ANVISA/Regulatory Agenda 2024-2025: preliminary list of topics is open for input
From July 31 to September 14, the society and the entities of the National Health Surveillance System (SNVS) will be able to give their opinion in the guided consultation on the preliminary list of topics proposed by Anvisa for prioritization in the RA 2024-2025. It is also possible to suggest the inclusion of other topics, in case any regulatory demand of interest is not present in the list.
Contributions can be sent through an electronic form, open to the participation of any interested party.
Food topics:
- Review of legislation on the use of functional and/or health claims on foods.
- General labeling of packaged foods.
- Updated labeling requirements for major allergenic foods.
- Labeling of foods intended for industrial purposes only.
- Updated macroscopic and microscopic foreign matter requirements for cassava starch and flour and rice flour.
- Sanitary requirements for silicone food contact materials.
- Update of the regulatory framework for metallic food contact materials.
- Update of sanitary requirements for dietary supplements (Revision of DRC No. 243/2018).
- Edition of regulatory act on food for medical use.
- Revision and consolidation of regulations on infant formula and enteral nutrition formulas
- Revision of the regulation on food additives and food technology adjuvants.
- Revision of the regulation of food additives and food technology adjuvants authorized for use in dairy products.
- Re-evaluation of the authorization for the use of the food additive titanium dioxide in foods.
- Nutrivigilance requirements applicable to the regulated sector, including those related to the establishment of a nutrivigilance system and the submission of mandatory periodic notifications and reports.
- Revision of the standard for hygienic-sanitary requirements and good manufacturing practices for food producing or processing establishments.
- Updating the regulatory framework for food irradiation.
- Regulation of sanitary requirements for foods of plant origin.
- Good practices for food services
Jamaica – BSJ published draft Standards on Jerk Seasoning and Jerk Sauce
The Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ) published two draft Standards:
- DJS 369: 2023 – Draft Jamaican Standard Methods of Test for Jerk Seasoning and Jerk Sauce.
- DJS 215: 2023 – Draft Jamaican Standard Specification for Jerk Seasoning and Jerk Sauce.
Brazil – ANVISA’s assessment of the food additive titanium dioxide
Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (Anvisa in Portuguese) position is in accordance with the indication of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), which also decided to re-evaluate the substance, based on the expanded data collection expected to be completed in 2024.
In this regard, the Agency included in the Regulatory Agenda 2021-2023 the re-evaluation of the authorization for the use of the additive titanium dioxide. The review process began with the publication of scientific reviews on the safety profile of additives. Despite conflicting scientific opinions, Anvisa considered it appropriate to initiate the review.
Since 2021, the Agency has not issued new authorizations for the use of titanium dioxide, while the issue is still under review.
Titanium dioxide is a food additive with coloring function, used in several countries and for decades without evidence of risk to human health. This additive has been evaluated by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) in its various aspects on several occasions (1959, 1964, 1969, 1977, 1984, 1992 and 2002).
In the toxicological field, the Committee defined, in 1969, an “unlimited” Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI), a situation attributed to substances that, according to existing information, are of very low toxicity, especially those found in food constituents or that can be considered as normal food or metabolites (residues that remain after the body uses the useful part of food) in humans. Studies indicate that the substance is eliminated virtually entirely unchanged in the feces, with approximately 0.001% absorbed orally and available systemically.
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