The National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA in Portuguese) has issued the Import communication nº 048/2024 to clarify the changes implemented on the importation of manufacturing inputs including the food category.
In view of the change in the Administrative procedures applied to imports of products subject to sanitary inspection communicated by Integrated Foreign Trade System (SISCOMEX in Portuguese) Notices No. 036/2024 and No. 037/2024, the General Directorate of Ports, Airports, Borders and Customs Enclosures (GGPAF in Portuguese) must verify that the ingredients mentioned in the labeling of foodstuffs including technological adjuvants must have the approval of ANVISA.
Substances subject to special control, even if they are intermediate and are not part of the final composition of the finished product, are subject to import approval at ANVISA.
The National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA in Portuguese) has published Normative Instruction IN No. 313, dated September 4, 2024, which contains microbiological standards for meat products and modifies Normative Instruction No. 161, dated July 1, 2022. The new regulation stipulates that “foods ready to be offered to the consumer that present deterioration that alters their physical, chemical or organoleptic characteristics are considered to be of unacceptable quality and are not subject to the application of the microbiological standards referred to in this Normative Instruction.” Another change is about two situations in which the mesophilic aerobic parameter/standard should be dispensed with for some types of foods, as described in subparagraphs ‘a’ and ‘b’ of the subsection, this is because for foods referred to in subsection VI, the presence of microorganisms of the mesophilic group is part of the process technology of these foods, so the standard does not make sense for this type of products, since when performing the test it will not be possible to affirm that in the case of a high count, the food exceeds the permitted standard, since there is no way to separate the microbiota from the process technology; A practical example would be to count mesophilic aerobes in a fermented milk, where there is a microbiota that has been intentionally removed. added for the desired nutritional purposes of the product.
The National Ministry of Health held the 155th Meeting of the National Food Commission (CONAL in Spanish) with the participation of national authorities and other interested parties. During the meeting, the Commission agreed and forwarded 7 dossiers to the final stage of administrative processing, such as the incorporation of hydroelectrolytic supplements, edible flowers, vegetable arropes and flour, incorporation of canary seed, fruits of the butia yatay palm tree and additives. The projects for the modification of articles 235 and 1381 were referred to the Public Consultation instance to incorporate Health Property Declarations (DPS) for use in labeling, as well as the incorporation of additives in fruits and microbiological criteria in herbs for infusion, among others. Among the dossiers that were submitted simultaneously to the CONAL Advisory Council (CONASE) and to the Public Consultation are the incorporation into the Argentine Food Code (CAA) of dehydrated grape pomace and apple pomace, the incorporation of new enzymes that were presented within the framework of the “Instructions for the application of articles 1263 and 1263 bis”, among others. The work of the working groups coordinated by the National Food Institute (INAL), such as “Microbiological Criteria, Food Additives, Food Enzymes and Updating of Chapter II”, was highlighted. The latter presented a proposal for the modification of the articles referring to meat food outlets. Finally, the Commission introduced new topics to be addressed, such as the incorporation of olive leaf for infusion, sake and a request to update the articles on lemon juice. It should be noted that INAL presented the update of the document “Guidelines for the declaration of allergens and substances capable of producing adverse reactions in susceptible individuals”, which was recommended and published on CONAL’s web page.
The Ministry of Health has published a “draft decree to incorporate in Article 1.2.11 of Chapter 1, Section 2 of the National Bromatological Regulation, microbiological criteria for ready-to-eat foods in which Listeria monocytogenes cannot grow, as well as microbiological criteria for ready-to-eat (RTE) foods in which Listeria monocytogene can grow”.
he Argentine government is considering a series of modifications to the Food Front Labeling Law, which currently obliges manufacturers to include black octagons on the packaging of products with excess of critical nutrients such as sugars, saturated fats and sodium. The regulation, which was approved in 2021, is under revision due to the demands of different productive sectors and health organizations.
According to Ministry of Health sources, one of the options being considered is the redesign of the octagons, which could be smaller or less visually invasive. Another alternative under study is the modification of the formula used to calculate the “critical nutrients” that force the inclusion of the warning seals. Currently, these are determined based on a ratio between the nutrient and the total caloric value of the product, which in some cases has generated controversy in the food industry. “We want to make labeling more accessible without losing focus on public health,” said Health Minister Carla Vizzotti.
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