Month: April 2025

Brazil – Lack of rigor in the monitoring of food supplements, say Senators

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The Committee on Science, Technology, Innovation and Information Technology and the Committee on Transparency, Governance and Consumer Protection discussed in a public hearing the growth in the consumption of dietary supplements in Brazil without proper sanitary control.
The debate was proposed (REQ 6/2025 – CCT and REQ 3/2025 – CTFC) by Senator Astronauta Marcos Pontes (PL-SP), who highlighted the urgency of clearer regulation and investments in laboratory equipment, such as liquid chromatographs, essential for product analysis.
The experts warned about the risk of unauthorized substances and highlighted loopholes in the importation of products. Senators defended more investments in the National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA in Portuguese), such as the purchase of equipment to analyze the composition of supplements. Updates to legislation and mechanisms to improve oversight were also discussed.

For further information, consult the following sources in Portuguese: Link(1), Link(2)

DOC-REQ-62025—CCT-20250306Download

Brazil – ANVISA discloses results of analysis on supplements

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THE National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA in Portuguese) analyzed 41 creatine dietary supplements available in the Brazilian market. The products involve a total of 29 manufacturing companies. The evaluation was conducted in order to verify the regularity of these products in three specific aspects:

Creatine content;
Adequacy of labeling.
Presence of foreign matter.

For the analysis, a survey was carried out of the creatines most sold in the Brazilian market, in packages of 300 grams, which is the most common in the market. The sample collection was carried out in the second semester of 2024, in supplement manufacturing companies. Only in the state of Rio de Janeiro were samples collected by the State Health Surveillance (Visa) in the retail market. The other participating states were São Paulo, Santa Catarina, Paraná and Espírito Santo, following the market concentration in these states.

Creatinas_ Anvisa divulga resultados de análise em suplementos — Agência GovDownload

Dominican Republic – Ministry of Health extends deadline for submitting opinions on Food and Beverage Sanitary Regulations

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The Ministry of Public Health announces the extension of the public consultation period on the Food and Beverage Sanitary Regulations. he purpose of these regulations is to establish the sanitary conditions and regulations to which the following processes must conform: production, handling, import, export, processing, packaging, storage, distribution, transportation and sale of food for human consumption; to authorize the commercial establishment, in order to preserve the nutrition and health of the population; and to monitor compliance with these regulations, to ensure the supply of healthy and safe products, as well as their advertising.

Deadline for receipt of opinions: Thursday, May 15, 2025.

BorradorDownload

Brazil – Bill proposed to require food labels to indicate alcohol content

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A bill currently before the Chamber of Deputies proposes to make mandatory the inclusion of information on alcohol content on food labels. Bill 447/25 covers all food products containing alcohol, regardless of whether its origin is by intentional addition or the result of fermentation processes.
The proposal aims to protect the health of vulnerable groups, such as children, adolescents, pregnant women and people who use medications that interact with alcohol.
The requirement that information on alcohol content be displayed in a visible place on the package seeks to ensure transparency and food safety.
Failure to comply with the rules set forth in the bill will subject offending companies to the penalties provided for in the Consumer Protection Code (CDC).

Brazil – DICOL announces review of regulations on new ingredients, food supplements, and health claims list at its 6th meeting

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The agenda for the day included the proposals for public consultation of the IN to establish specifications for the identity, purity and composition of ingredients authorized for use in food; for public consultation of the RDC to amend RDC 243/2018, which provides for health requirements for food supplements, RDC/2023, which provides for safety testing and authorization for use of novel foods and novel ingredients, and IN/2018, which provides for lists of components, limits of use, declarations and supplementary labeling of food supplements.