Month: November 2025

Uruguay – In a public consultation, MERCOSUR Technical Regulations projects regarding the Labeling of Packaged Foods and Nutritional Labeling of Packaged Foods

/ infoAlimentario

The Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mining has released for public consultation two MERCOSUR projects concerning food labeling:

  • Project Resolution No. 03/25 Revision 1 “Technical Regulation MERCOSUR for the Labeling of Packaged Foods (Repeal of GMC Resolution No. 06/94 and 26/03). The document submitted for public consultation proposes the approval of a new Technical Regulation MERCOSUR for the labeling of packaged foods, which modernizes and replaces previous standards to ensure that consumer information is truthful, clear, legible, and sufficient. It establishes definitions, general and specific requirements for the presentation of mandatory information (including ingredients, origin, expiration date, storage, and nutritional information), sets formatting criteria to ensure readability, determines conditions for specific cases (such as small packages, foods for industrial processing, or imported products), and provides differentiated adjustment deadlines for various types of products and economic operators.

P. Res_03-25 Rev. 1_RTM Rotulado alimentos envasados_ESDownload
  • Resolution Project No. 05/25 “MERCOSUR Technical Regulation on Nutritional Labeling of Packaged Foods (Repeal of Resolutions GMC No. 44/03, 46/03, 48/06, and 40/11).” The document submitted for public consultation approves a new MERCOSUR Technical Regulation on nutritional labeling of packaged foods, which updates and replaces previous standards. It defines the nutritional information that must be declared mandatorily, the formats and readability criteria to be followed, the circumstances under which the declaration is voluntary or exempt, how values should be calculated and expressed, and the adjustment periods that different types of products and operators will have before mandatory incorporation in the Member States.

PRes 05-25 RTM Rotulagem Nutricional_ESDownload

Belize – Bureau of Standards conducts training on requirements of Revised National Standard for Labelling of Prepackaged Foods

/ infoAlimentario

The Belize Bureau of Standards (BBS) through an invitation from the Belize Trade and Investment Development Service (BELTRAIDE) conducted a training on the requirements of the Revised National Standard for Labelling of Prepackaged Foods to Coconut producers.

Participants were introduced to the requirements of the National Standard for BZS 1: Part 3: 2025 (Revised) – Belize Standard: Specification for Labelling: Labelling of Prepackaged Foods, while getting an opportunity to conduct a self-assessment of their current labels.  

The BBS noted that proper packaging and labeling are critical aspects of food safety and quality assurance, and marketing especially for pre-packaged foods.

Mexico – Senators propose labeling of food products containing genetically modified ingredients

/ infoAlimentario

The President of the Senate, Laura Itzel Castillo, announced that within the framework of discussions regarding the economic package (reforms to the Federal Tax Code and the Federal Rights Law), she will present a complementary initiative concerning the labeling of genetically modified products. The aim is to provide consumers with clear information about the food they purchase. The legislator clarified that this proposal will support the reform of Articles 4 and 27 of the Political Constitution of the United Mexican States, which protects native corn and prohibits the cultivation of genetically modified grains in Mexico.

She also emphasized that the review of these issues will be a priority on the economic agenda, as the modifications seek to strengthen public revenues and promote responsible consumption, particularly concerning products that have a significant impact on health.

For further information, please consult: Link / Link

Brazil – Anvisa provides information regarding the cannabis plantation regularization process

/ infoAlimentario

The National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA in Portuguese) has presented an update regarding the measures taken by the Agency to comply with the ruling of the Superior Court of Justice (STJ in Portuguese) concerning the cultivation of cannabis solely for medicinal and pharmaceutical purposes.

The ongoing work aims to adhere to the aforementioned STJ ruling, which acknowledged the right to import hemp seeds, as well as to plant, cultivate, and market industrial hemp exclusively for medicinal and pharmaceutical uses.

The report highlighted several issues that need to be addressed in the regulatory debate, which are already being tackled by ANVISA’s technical teams. These include:

  • Compliance with the judicial decision.
  • The definition of scientific research involving cannabis.
  • The potential impacts of future regulations on existing judicial decisions and the judicialization process.
  • The necessary timelines for regulatory compliance and the internal implementation of the proposed regulation.
  • The effects that establishing a maximum percentage of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) could have on cannabis-based medications and products already registered with the Agency that exceed this percentage.

According to the speaker, the discussion regarding the THC percentage limit is one of the central points that must be analyzed in the regulatory process to ensure it does not become an obstacle to the research and development of new medications.

Brazil – The Health Surveillance Agency of Natal announces the release of the brochure and technical manual on Dietary Supplements, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Herbal Products

/ infoAlimentario

The Health Surveillance Agency of Natal (VISA Natal in Portuguese), in partnership with Sebrae-RN and with the support of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), conducted a Technical Seminar on Dietary Supplements, which addressed health regulations, industrialization, and the marketing of these products. The event also marked the launch of a brochure and a technical manual containing guidelines for the public and entrepreneurs in the sector.

During the event, the brochure and the technical manual on Dietary Supplements, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Herbal Products were launched. This material is the result of collaboration between Gabrielle Medeiros, a Nutrition student at UFRN, and VISA Natal. “The brochure is aimed at the general consumer, while the technical material is intended for companies and technical managers, with the goal of promoting safer marketing and production of supplements in the municipality,” Sônia explained.

CARTILHASUPLEMENTODownload

MATERIAL_TECNICO_SUPLEMENTOSDownload