Day: 24/07/2025

Guatemala – Ministry of Economy supports initiative promoting regulation of healthy foods

/ infoAlimentario

On Tuesday, Representative Jairo Flores summoned Gabriela García, head of the Ministry of Economy, to learn the ministry’s position on Initiative 5504, a law promoting healthy eating.

Congressman Flores explained that the bill seeks to guarantee the population’s right to make informed decisions about the consumption of ultra-processed foods and the damage they can cause to their health, as well as to implement front-of-package labeling for products that contain excessive amounts of sugar, sodium, saturated fats, and trans fats (vegetable fat created by industrial processes).
Minister Gabriela García said that the position of the ministry she represents is in favor of the bill, which she considers important given that the rates of diseases caused by the consumption of processed products are triggering various illnesses.
At the end of the meeting, it was agreed to hold a technical roundtable with the participation of MiNECO, the Secretariat of Food and Nutritional Security (SESAN), the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance (MSPAS), academics, and social organizations.
The legislator reported that the technical roundtable will hold a meeting on July 29, to which these entities will be invited.

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Peru – CENADIM urges healthcare professionals to report any suspected adverse reactions related to the use of products containing Ashwagandha

/ infoAlimentario

The National Center for Drug Documentation and Information (CENADIM in Spanish) has published a news item related to the risk of liver damage from consuming ashwagandha.

“In September 2023, the Netherlands Pharmacovigilance Center (Lareb) reported cases of liver toxicity associated with products containing Withania somnifera (L.) Dunai, commonly known as “ashwagandha” or “Indian ginseng.” In June 2025, Lareb updated the information with new reports of liver damage associated with the use of ashwagandha received up to that date.
Ashwagandha is a plant that has been used in traditional Indian medicine for thousands of years. It is said to promote better sleep and have beneficial effects against physical and mental stress. In the Netherlands, products containing ashwagandha are classified as dietary supplements and therefore do not require the pre-marketing authorization required for medicines”.

In Peru, there are current health records for pharmaceutical products containing ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) as a dietary supplement and natural product in the form of pills, tablets, capsules, chewable gel, and gummies, which are sold over the counter without a prescription.
Healthcare professionals are urged to report any suspected adverse reactions related to the use of products containing ashwagandha to the Peruvian Pharmacovigilance and Technovigilance System through NotiMED (https://vigiflow-eforms.who-umc.org/pe/sra).