The article analyzes the regulation of food environments in Brazil based on the premise that the guarantee of the right to food and nutrition depends on the capacity of the public power to play certain roles effectively. It also assumes that regulation is the result of public-private disputes, being influenced by lobbying or legal arguments that limit the State’s options. Based on cases involving advertising, nutritional labeling and the tax regime for sugary drinks, the paper seeks to analyze the roles that regulation has played in the field of food environments, especially in ultra-processed foods.
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Brazil – Food insecurity and labeling of transgenic foods in Brazil: an overview of legislative advances and setbacks, from the perspective of the human right to adequate food
This work is a continuation of the research published in the Revista CEJ, of the Brazilian Federal Court, in 2018, and presented at the II International Congress of Public Law: justice and the enforcement of human rights, held at the University of Coimbra/Portugal, in 2017. The labeling of transgenic foods is addressed as a means of guaranteeing full access to the Human Right to Adequate Food, in order to guarantee the promotion of Food and Nutritional Security to consumers. The current research aims to update the previous work, taking into account the context of worsening food insecurity rates in Brazil, especially in the post-Covid-19 pandemic period, and also taking into account the new resolutions of Anvisa that deal with food labeling, as well as the unarchiving, in the Federal Senate, of the Bill addressed in the previous research, known as “PL to end transgenic labeling”, seeking a critical approach to its possible effects. The essay uses the deductive method to compose a bibliographical research, using legislation, doctrine, jurisprudence and data contained in public and private information banks as sources.
Article – Nutritional labeling: historical landmarks in Colombia and the world
Nutritional labeling refers to the practice of providing information on food products. Since antiquity, these labels have evolved in tandem with industry, consumers, and government regulations. In Roman and Phoenician times, amphorae were labeled with details such as the date, place of manufacture, and the name of the responsible party. During the Renaissance, the first printed labels emerged, with their development accelerating in the 18th century due to technological advancements and regulatory requirements aimed at health standards. Food labeling is a transdisciplinary field that encompasses nutrition, food engineering, marketing, and law, among other disciplines. The objective of this reflective article was to establish a timeline describing the most significant milestones in food labeling in Colombia and globally, in order to understand the dynamics of this complex system, wherein various stakeholders engage in multiple components that interact simultaneously to comply with current regulations. The methodology employed for this reflective article involved a review of nutritional labeling through specialized databases such as Scopus, PubMed, and Scielo, as well as public institutional repositories from the ministries responsible for regulations, and other academic search engines. The research focused on identifying and analyzing relevant publications using specific keywords related to the origins, background, and history of food labeling worldwide. This reflection has thus highlighted the need for a transdisciplinary approach to responsibly develop procedures under regulations for the food industry. Such an approach aims to provide the end consumer with clear and comprehensible nutritional information about the food, thereby facilitating informed choices. Additionally, it seeks to prevent misleading or erroneous practices within food production companies, in alignment with Resolutions 810 of 2021 and 2492 of 2022 from the Ministry of Health and Social Protection; these actions are consistent with FAO guidelines on sustainable and resilient food systems, contributing to the achievement of the global 2030 Agenda’s Sustainable Development Goals. Based on historical facts and recognizing that the issues described are not yet fully resolved, ongoing needs over the years become evident. Therefore, there is a call to rethink, abstract, and redefine the Nutritional Labeling system, involving the state, industry, society, and academia.
Article – The Limits to Food and Beverage Industry Influence over Fiscal and Regulatory Policy in Latin America
Context: Little is known about the political, institutional, and social contexts contributing to a decline in food and beverage industry power and influence over fiscal (soda taxes) and regulatory (sales/advertising restrictions and food labels) policy. This article addresses this issue by exploring why Mexico and Chile eventually saw such a decline in the food and beverage industry’s influence whereas Brazil was not as successful. I argue that in Mexico and Chile, these outcomes are explained by shifts in presidential, congressional, and bureaucratic interests in pursuing policies that went against industry preferences.
Methods: This article took a qualitative methodological approach to comparative historical research.
Findings: Policymakers’ interest in pursuing stronger food and beverage regulations were shaped by economic and public health concerns, new electoral contexts, epidemiological information, and normative beliefs. In Mexico, the infiltration of nutrition researchers within government facilitated this process. In contrast, Brazil’s government was divided about pursuing regulatory policies, with presidents favoring partnerships with industry to implement a popular anti-hunger program; industry’s power endured there with limited progress in policy reforms.
Conclusion: Governments can eventually overcome industry power and policy influence, but it depends on a whole government commitment to reform.
Article – Reformulation of ultra-processed products in Argentina after the implementation of front-of-pack labeling
The implementation of front-of-package labeling in Argentina encourages product reformulation, promoting healthier food environments. The objective was to analyze the changes in the content of energy, added sugar, total fat, saturated fat, and sodium in ultra-processed products during the first stage and upon completion of the implementation period of the law regulating front- of-package labeling in the country. METHODS: A longitudinal study with non-probabilistic sampling was conducted. Data were collected in two stages: T1 (June-August 2022) and T2 (December 2023-March 2024). Changes were evaluated using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. RESULTS: The sample comprised 682 products in T1 and 527 in T2. Energy content decreased in dairy and sweet biscuits (p<0.05). There was a notable reduction in total fat (40 %) and saturated fat (38.73 %) content in dairy products (p<0.05), followed by decreases in saturated fat (11.76 %) and sodium (9.69 %) in savory snacks (p<0.05). Added sugar content increased in dairy and sweet spreads (p<0.05), while it decreased in ice cream, chocolates, sweet biscuits, and “alfajores” (p<0.05). DISCUSSION: There was no evidence of a general pattern of product reformulation; this phenomenon was observed in certain groups and specific nutrients such as total fat, saturated fat, and sodium.
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