Day: 23/02/2024

Article – Monitoring health and nutrition claims on food labels in Brazil

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Introduction: The monitoring of nutrition and health claims on food and beverage labels has been proposed by international and national organizations because it can collaborate with the development of public policies to regulate food labeling and marketing strategies. One way of carrying out this monitoring is by using data collected by private companies.

Objective: To compare information on nutrition and health claims available in a commercial database of a private company that monitors the launch of new foods and beverages in Brazilian food retailers with information on those same claims manually coded by trained research assistants.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional observational study using a data sample of newly launched food and beverages available at a commercial database from 2018 to 2021. We compared the information on health and nutrition claims available on the commercial dataset with reliable information on the same nutrition and health claims manually coded by trained research assistants using a tested taxonomy to classify such claims. We used Gwet’s Kappa AC1 with 95% CI and percentage agreement to compare both data sources and calculated sensitivity and specificity of the compared data.

Results: A total of 6,722 foods and beverages were analyzed. Mintel-GNPD presented 36.28% (n = 2,439) of nutrition claims, while in the trained researchers’ coding, it was 33.73% (n = 2,267). We found a prevalence of 5.4% (n = 362) for health claims in Mintel-GNPD and 10.8% (n = 723) in the researchers’ coding. All subcategories of nutrition and health claims showed high agreement (Kappa >0.81). Health claims presented kappa = 0.89 with 33.7% sensitivity and 98.0% specificity while nutrition claims showed kappa = 0.86 with 92.9% sensitivity and 92.5% specificity.

Conclusion: Nutrition and health claims showed high agreement, with great results in nutrition claims, indicating that Mintel-GPND is suitable for monitoring such claims on food and beverage packaging in Brazil. Additionally, our findings show a high prevalence of nutrition and health claims on food packages launched in the Brazilian food retail, highlighting the need to monitor these to develop public policies to regulate food marketing on packaging in Brazil.

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

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Mexico – Senate of the Republic Senate recognizes the importance of Amaranth

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With 83 votes in favor, the Mexican Senate approved declaring October 15 of each year as “National Amaranth Day”. The initiative seeks to recognize the cultural, ecological, social and agricultural contribution of this food in Mexico.
The ruling highlights the properties of amaranth, such as its protein content and bioavailability in the seeds, as well as the high content of calcium, magnesium and vitamin C in the leaves. It highlights its role in the fight against obesity and overweight, contributing to dietary variation and the recovery of food sovereignty.
The ruling has been sent to the Chamber of Deputies for its analysis and corresponding ruling, marking an important step in the recognition and promotion of amaranth in Mexico.

For further information, you can access the original source in Spanish
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Paraguay – INAN publishes Resolution modifying the deadlines established for the progressive reduction of Trans Fatty Acid content in foods

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The National Institute of Food and Nutrition (INAN in Spanish) has published Resolution S.G. No. 043. Modifying deadlines established for the progressive reduction of Trans Fatty Acids content in food.
All foods, including ingredients for industrial use (2% of the total content of Trans Fatty Acids) must comply with the
Fats) must comply with Resolution S.G. N” 411, of September 09, 2020, as of September 08, 2025.

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

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Colombia – The transitional period for the implementation of Resolution 1407 of 2022 on microbiological criteria to be met by food and beverages intended for human consumption ends

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The Instituto Nacional de Vigilancia de Medicamentos y Alimentos (INVIMA in Spanish), informs that on February 8, 2024 ended the transitional period for the implementation of Resolution No 1407 of 2022 “Whereby the microbiological criteria to be met by food and beverages intended for human consumption are established”.
As of this date, natural or legal persons engaged in the manufacture, processing, preparation, packaging, storage, transportation, distribution, importation and marketing of food and beverages intended for human consumption must comply with the requirements established in this standard.

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

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Brazil – IDEC’s request, the Justice determines that the industry must comply with the front warning label

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El Tribunal Federal de São Paulo concedió una medida cautelar en la acción civil pública interpuesta por el Instituto Brasileño de Protección al Consumidor (IDEC) contra la Agencia Nacional de Vigilancia Sanitaria Anvisa (ANVISA) en relación con la ampliación de las instalaciones de la misma. Etiquetado de alimentos y bebidas con un sello de lupa que indica altas cantidades de sodio y azúcar agregada. y grasas saturadas.
Una decisión provisional del juez Marcelo Guerra Martins, del 13º Juzgado Civil Federal de São Paulo, suspende inmediatamente los efectos de la RDC (Resolución del Consejo Colegiado) Nº 819/2023 y determina que Anvisa se abstenga de adoptar nuevas medidas que, directa o indirectamente, autoriza el incumplimiento de los plazos de implementación del RDC Nº 429/2020 y de la Instrucción Normativa nº 75/2020.

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