Article – Sociodemographic differences in nutrition labels effect on Chilean and Mexican youth

Objective. To examine sociodemographic differences in the awareness, understanding, use and effect of nutrition labels among Mexican and Chilean youth.

Methods. Online surveys among youth (10-17 years) were obtained in 2019 (n=2631). Participants reported their awareness, understanding, and use of their country-specific nutrition facts tables (NFT) and front-of-pack labels (FOPL) (Chile: warning labels [WLs]; Mexico: guideline daily amounts [GDA]). Additionally, participants reported their perceived healthfulness of a sweetened fruit drink after viewing one of six versions of it withdifferent FOPL (no-label control, Health Star Rating, WLs, GDAs, Traffic Light, or Nutri-Score) during an exper-imental task.

Results. Higher self-reported nutrition knowledge was associated with higher NFT and FOPL awareness, understanding, and use, except for WL use. WLs were the most effective FOPL in decreasing the perceived healthfulness of the sweetened fruit drink compared to a no-label condition and other FOP labels. In Chile, the effect of GDA differed by income adequacy, while in Mexico Nutri-Score differed by age.

Conclusions. Results suggest that nutrition label awareness, use, understanding, and impact differ across demographics, favoring higher income and nutrition knowledge. Despite this, WLs are likely to have a positive impact on nutrition-related knowledge and behaviors among Mexican and Chilean youth, independently of their socio-demographic groups.

Brazil – Proposed regulatory instruction on compositional and quality requirements, nutritional content and claims and list of authorized constituents for infant formulae, transitional foods and cereal-based foods for infants and young children, formulas for enteral nutrition and dietary therapeutic formulas for inborn errors of metabolism

The National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA in Portuguese) has published Public Consultation No. 1.243/2024 , on the proposed Normative Instruction (IN) on composition and quality requirements, nutritional content and declarations and list of authorized constituents for infant formulas, transitional foods and base foods. It establishes composition and quality requirements, content and nutritional declarations and list of authorized constituents for infant formulae, transitional foods and base foods for cereals for infants and young children, formulas for enteral nutrition and dietary therapeutic formulas for inborn errors of metabolism.

Brazil – Proposed Regulatory Instruction on Sanitary Requirements for Infant and Young Child Formulas, Transitional Foods and Cereal-Based Foods for Infants and Young Children, Enteral Nutrition Formulas and Diethotherapeutic Formulas for Inborn Errors of Metabolism

The National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA in Portuguese) has published Public Consultation No. 1.242/2024 on the proposed Normative Instruction (IN) on health requirements for infant formulae for infants and young children, transitional foods and cereal-based foods for infants and young children, formulas for enteral nutrition and diethotherapeutic formulas for inborn errors of metabolism.

Brazil – ANVISA publishes Food Library update

The National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA in Portuguese) published the update of the Food Library. Libraries are documents that bring together all current standards for a given macro-topic, divided by topics. The objective is to facilitate access and understanding of the Regulatory Stock to the internal and external public, as well as to improve the process of preparing and reviewing the regulations.

Argentina – NIV approved the dealcoholization of wine as a legal oenological practice

The National Institute of Viticulture (INV in Spanish)has published Resolution 5/2024, which establishes that only the equipment authorized by the NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF VITIVINICULTURE (/INV) may be used to carry out the dealcoholization practice, which will set the maximum reduction of the alcoholic strength and the reduction of each one.
Additionally, the correction of the ethanol content of wine up to a maximum of TWENTY PERCENT (20%) was approved as a lawful oenological practice. The product obtained by this practice will maintain its Legal Denomination according to current regulations.