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.