Day: 03/09/2025

Mexico – Agreement published establishing simplification measures for procedures carried out before the Federal Commission for Protection against Health Risks

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The Official Journal of the Federation has published the “Agreement establishing actions for the simplification of procedures conducted before the Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks (COFEPRIS in Spanish).

The requirement to submit certain documents physically for sanitary import permits of various types has been eliminated; however, the essential information contained within them must be completed in either physical or online formats, as appropriate for their processing.

  • Various sanitary import permit procedures have been consolidated, and improvements for each have been specified.
  • The requirements for the merged procedures, along with their homoclaves, have been updated.
  • A reduction in resolution time has been implemented for some sanitary import permit procedures, as well as for modifications.

The agreement will take effect one hundred eighty business days following its publication in the Official Journal of the Federation. The physical formats will be made available on the official COFEPRIS website starting from the effective date of this Agreement.

DOF – Diario Oficial de la FederaciónDownload

Paraguay – DINAVISA approves Comprehensive Plan for Food Inspection, Surveillance, and Control and Food Control Matrix

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The General Directorate of Surveillance (DINAVISA in Spanish) publishes the Comprehensive Plan for Inspection, Surveillance, and Control of Food, along with the Food Control Matrix, within the framework of the competencies of the National Directorate of Sanitary Surveillance.

Law No. 6788/2021, amended by Law No. 7361/2024, establishes the autonomy of the National Directorate of Sanitary Surveillance. Article 3 states that the National Directorate of Sanitary Surveillance (DINAVISA) will be the authority responsible for the sanitary regulation of health products such as medications and related items, as well as for food and related products. This includes the competencies for the regulation, control, and oversight of food and other substances associated with food, beverages, additives, and food supplements, dietary foods, raw materials intended for food use, packaging in contact with food, or similar items intended for human consumption. Furthermore, it encompasses the regulation, control, authorization, and oversight of establishments and activities conducted by individuals or legal entities involved in the stages of food handling, manufacturing, preparation, storage, packaging, quality control, distribution, sale, marketing, transportation, representation, importation, exportation, packaging, labeling, information, and advertising of food, as well as the technologies applied in the food industry, including authorization, inspection, sanitary registration, renewal of sanitary registration, dispatch, importation, and exportation, and any other concept related to its functions.

documentDownload

Chile – Ministry of Health proposes changes to regulations on plastics in contact with food

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The Ministry of Health proposes the replacement of TITLE XXX of the Food Sanitary Regulation to include the regulation of materials and objects intended to come into contact with food.
Currently, the Food Sanitary Regulation governs packaging and utensils; however, in light of current knowledge and technology, it is deemed general and insufficient.
The proposal outlines, in broad terms, the responsibilities of manufacturers, importers, and marketers of materials and objects intended for contact with food; it specifies requirements and restrictions that must be adhered to, including labeling for such materials and objects when they are marketed, and it also regulates the recycling of plastics.
The proposition will be open for public consultation until September 23, 2025.

Prop-dto-250425Download

Guatemala – Authorities propose strategies for the approval of initiative 5504, the law for promoting healthy eating

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The Food Security Commission convened with representatives from civil society who advocate for food security in Guatemala, to discuss and advance a strategy for the approval of initiative 5504, the law promoting healthy eating.

This initiative aims to ensure the population’s right to make informed decisions regarding the consumption of ultra-processed foods and the potential harm they may cause to their health. Furthermore, it mandates the implementation of front labeling on products that contain excessive amounts of sugar, sodium, saturated fats, and trans fats (vegetable fats produced through industrial processes).
In the meeting, delegates from the Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama (INCAP), the Central American Institute for Studies in Social Democracy (DEMOS), the Pan American Health Organization, and Guatemala Saludable participated. Their representatives informed that on August 20, they will present to the Commission over seven thousand signatures from individuals who support and endorse the approval of this legislative initiative.
The INCAP delegates emphasized the significance of this bill in light of the statistics in the country, which indicate that seven out of ten adults and four out of ten children aged seven to twelve years, as well as two out of ten children under two years old, suffer from overweight issues. Therefore, they seek to promote the production of foods with appropriate elements for the consumption of the population in the country.

Brazil – Anvisa releases a recording of a sectoral debate regarding the review of food labeling regulations

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The National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA in Portuguese) held its inaugural virtual sectoral dialogue to discuss with the public the proposed updates to its general labeling regulations, nutritional labeling, and food allergen labeling.

During the meeting, the history of negotiations was presented, along with the progress of the review processes, a summary of the proposed changes, the publication of the terms for initiating regulatory processes, and an outline of the upcoming steps, which include complementary thematic dialogues and public consultations.