With the aim of preventing non-communicable chronic diseases such as obesity, malnutrition, and childhood undernutrition, the representative of the province of Guayas, Cristina Jácome, presented the Organic Law Reform Bill to the Organic Health Law for the Comprehensive Regulation of Front-of-Package Nutrition Labeling.
The proposal seeks to update and strengthen compliance with the comprehensive technical regulations for front-of-pack nutritional labeling using the Octagon Graphic System (OGS) on processed foods. This includes classification parameters, graphic design, analytical methodologies, and nutritional profiles, in coordination with the national standardization body.
It also proposes the implementation and maintenance of population-based nutritional surveillance systems, monitoring compliance with labeling requirements, evaluating the impact on consumption patterns, and industrial product reformulation.
The legislator argued that non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Ecuador, generating a high disease burden that significantly affects the population’s quality of life and the sustainability of the health system, according to data from the Ministry of Public Health updated for the 2024–2025 period.
