Day: 05/11/2024

Brazil – GMOs should only appear on the label if they represent 1% of the product

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Information on the use of genetically modified (transgenic) ingredients only needs to appear on the product label if these represent at least 1% of the total.

The conclusion is from the 2nd Panel of the Superior Court of Justice, which concluded that the limit, imposed in article 2 of Decree 4,680/2003 , is compatible with the Brazilian legal system.

With this, the panel granted the special appeal filed by the Union and the Brazilian Association of Food Industries (Abia) to overturn a ruling by the 1st Region Federal Regional Court that required this labeling in all cases.

The case concerns a public civil action filed with the aim of prohibiting the Union from authorizing or permitting the marketing of any food, packaged or in natura , that contains GMOs without express reference to this information on its labeling.

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

Paraguay – INAN intensifies surveillance and control activities for table-top sweeteners

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The National Institute of Food and Nutrition (INAN in Spanish) reports that through the Food Safety and Control Directorate, in the year 2024 the surveillance and control activities of tabletop sweeteners marketed in the country have been intensified.
The actions consisted of sampling products for analysis in the institution’s laboratory, notification of the results to the responsible/owners of the products for withdrawal from the market or adaptation of the products according to what was detected as a result of the control, as well as evaluation of the Good Manufacturing Practices and/or Good Storage Practices of the establishments. Thirty samples of sweeteners have been analyzed.
The presence of ingredients not declared in the labeling or in their original composition at the time of granting the R.S.P.A. has been laboratory detected. In all cases, INAN, after the notifications made, is in the follow-up stage for the verification of the adjustments.

Chile – Ministry of Health publishes proposed regulation on the preparation and sale of food in establishments located in rural or mixed communities

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The Ministry of Health publishes a proposal to include new articles 7 bis and 51 bis of the Food Sanitary Regulations, on the processing and sale of food in establishments located in rural or mixed communities.

Article 7 bis.- If the application for sanitary authorization considers a food processing establishment located in rural or mixed settlements.
food processing establishment located in human settlements with population less or equal to 2,000 inhabitants where more than 50% of the population declares that it is dedicated to primary activities according to the information provided by the National Institute of Statistics; that are located in predominantly rural, predominantly urban or mixed communes, according to the definition of the National Policy of Rural Development officialized by Supreme Decree N°19 of 2020 of the Ministry of the Interior and Public Security; that correspond to micro enterprises according to the provisions of Law 20. 416 and are users of the Instituto Nacional de Desarrollo Agropecuario, Corporación de Fomento de la Producción, Fundación para la Promoción y Desarrollo de la Mujer or other state institutions that promote productive development, the interested party will only have to prove before the corresponding sanitary authority.

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Chile – Deputies present project to regulate information on packaging

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This Wednesday, in the Chamber of Deputies, a bill was presented that seeks to regulate the information on packaging, specifically to create new standards on the size of the expiration date.
The project’s initiative on information on packaging aims to make the expiration and/or use-by date clear and easily understandable. This, at the same time, to promote responsible food consumption and environmental sustainability.

Draft Law

Article 1: The packaging of food products intended for human consumption must include the date of processing, packaging, expiration and/or best before date in a clear manner, with a minimum size of 3 mm for the characters.

Article 2: Establishes that a regulation issued by the Ministry of Health, with the participation of the Ministry of Agriculture, will determine which foods must bear the “best before date” label and regulate the conditions under which their characteristics may change. In addition, the marketing of these foods after the date printed on their packaging is prohibited.

Article 3: The label must include the expression “EXPIRY DATE” together with the date, using the format “DAY/MONTH/YEAR”. It is the responsibility of the manufacturer, producer or importer to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information.

Chile – Ministry of Health issues Decree on characteristics of the message promoting healthy lifestyle habits contained in food advertising

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The Ministry of Health has published Decree No. 24, which “Determines the characteristics of the message promoting healthy lifestyle habits contained in food advertising”. The regulation establishes the application dispositions and graphic norms of the Message that promotes healthy life habits.
The Message to be included in the advertising of food or food products in mass media, in accordance with the provisions of Article 110 bis of Supreme Decree No. 977 of 1996, of the Ministry of Health.

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