Thru Joint Resolution No. 04/2026, the National Administration of Medicines, Food and Medical Technology (ANMAT) and the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries incorporated MERCOSUR Resolution No. 18/21 into the national legal framework, which updates the maximum limits of inorganic contaminants for the category “Rice and its derivatives, except oil,” specifically in relation to arsenic. The measure updates the MERCOSUR Technical Regulation on Maximum Limits of Inorganic Contaminants in Food, previously incorporated into the Argentine Food Code, with the aim of aligning national regulations with technical and scientific advances in food safety.

Main aspects of the update:

• Harmonizes Argentine regulations with the standards in force within the MERCOSUR framework.
• Updates the maximum permitted limits of arsenic for the category “Rice and its derivatives, except oil.”
• Strengthens the protection of consumer health by adjusting the criteria for controlling inorganic contaminants in food.
• It helps ensure the safety and quality of the food marketed in the country.

Likewise, Article 156 of the Argentine Food Code is updated, which establishes the maximum permitted limits for various metallic and non-metallic elements in food, incorporating the modifications approved at the regional level.