Month: March 2025

Mexico – The National Quality Infrastructure PROGRAM 2025 has been published, which includes modifications to the Mexican Official Standard on labeling for food and beverages, non-alcoholic flavored beverages and microbial and pathogenic indicators in food

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The Ministry of Economy published the 2025 National Quality Infrastructure Program, which includes a modification to:

  • Section 4.5.3 of NOM-051-SCFI/SSA1-2010 on labeling prepackaged food and non-alcoholic beverages. The Standardizing Authorities determined that it was necessary to modify only section 4.5.3 of this regulatory instrument in order to update the criteria for the evaluation and calculation of critical nutrients added to prepackaged foods and non-alcoholic beverages regulated within the scope of the standard in question.

  • Modification to the Mexican Official Standard NOM-210-SSA1-2014, Products and Services. Microbiological test methods. Determination of indicator microorganisms. Determination of pathogenic microorganisms. Inclusion of new regulatory appendices for V. parahaemolyticus, V. Cholera, Staphylococcal toxin, Sisella spp. Legionella spp, Listeria spp. and Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli and sample preparation.

  • Modification to the Mexican Official Standard NOM-218-SSA1-2011, Products and services. Non-alcoholic flavored beverages, their frozen products, concentrated products to prepare them and beverages with added caffeine. Specifications and sanitary provisions. Test methods. Establishment of the minimum value of sugars in sports drinks, to avoid the existence of drinks with only electrolytes, especially with sodium, which do not rehydrate. Avoid the existence in the market of drinks with electrolytes that, according to current regulations, are considered as inputs. Inclusion of specifications for non-alcoholic beverages with vegetable or fruit or vegetable content, as they are included in NOM-173-SE-2021, Juices, coconut water, nectars, non-alcoholic beverages with vegetable or fruit or vegetable content and prepackaged non-alcoholic flavored beverages – Names – Specifications – Commercial information and test methods.
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Costa Rica – Ministry of Health takes action on artificial food coloring Red No. 3

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The Ministry of Health informs the population that it is aware of the recent announcement by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which has banned the use of artificial food coloring Red No. 3, also known as erythrosine, due to its relationship with thyroid cancer in animals.
To ensure the health of Costa Ricans, the Ministry of Health is taking the following actions:

  1. Call to the Central American Commission on Food Additives: An extraordinary meeting will be held to evaluate the use of Red No. 3.
  2. Product Analysis: Samples of products containing Red No. 3 will be taken for analysis at Inciensa, with the aim of verifying that they comply with the quantities currently permitted.

Regarding medicines containing Red No. 3 dye, which are regulated by the Central American Technical Regulations RTCA 11.03.59:18 and RTCA 11.01.02:04, the Ministry of Health will promptly communicate the actions to be taken.

In addition to these actions, the Ministry of Health will be monitoring all information shared regarding the use of this dye.

Brazil – ANVISA publishes modification to the regulation of plastic packaging and equipment in contact with food

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The National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA in Portuguese) publishes the Resolution of the Collegiate Council RDC ANVISA No 961/2025 which modifies the Resolution of the Collegiate Council – RDC No 56/2012, which provides the positive list of monomers, other starting substances and polymers authorized for the production of plastic containers and equipment in contact with food.

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Brazil – IDEC files appeal against withdrawal of labeling on foods with a percentage less than or equal to 1% of GMOs

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The Institute for Consumer Protection (IDEC in Portuguese) filed an appeal before the Supreme Federal Court against the decision that establishes that the identification on the label of foods with a percentage less than or equal to 1% of GMO in their composition is unnecessary, adopted by the 2nd Chamber of the Superior Court of Justice (STJ), in October of last year.

The institute maintains that the decision is contrary to Brazilian legal principles and violates fundamental rights, as well as constitutional norms of consumer protection and human dignity, essential to the Brazilian economic and social order. “The Federal Constitution enshrines the rights to good citizenship, human dignity, pluralism, self-determination, information, healthy food, food security and sovereignty, health, equality, culture and tradition and a balanced environment, rights that are not negotiable and whose decisions are contrary,” the document states.

The appeal requests that the STF reinstate the decisions taken by the TRF-1 (Federal Regional Court of the 1st Region) that prohibited the Federal Union from allowing or authorizing the marketing of any food containing GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms), without express reference to that information on its labeling, regardless of the percentage, and that forced it to take measures to inspect and withdraw those products that do not comply with the decision.

Venezuela – SENCAMER publishes draft of Venezuelan Standard COVENIN 1291-1:2025 Isolation and identification of Salmonella spp. Part 1: Foods

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The Decentralized Service for Standardization, Quality, Metrology and Technical Regulations (SENCAMER in Spanish), has published the draft Venezuelan Standard COVENIN 1291-1:2025 Isolation and identification of Salmonella spp. Part 1: Food.
This standard applies to the method for isolating and identifying Salmonella spp. in food samples for human and animal consumption. Water samples and environmental samples in the food production and handling area are excluded from the scope of this standard.

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