The Americas

Regulatory news in the Americas

Article – Nutritional labeling: its expression in the Mexican context

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Introduction: Food is a process that carries implicit socio-cultural elements in a specific historical moment. The changes in the diet caused an increase in problems of obesity and Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases in Mexico. Measures have been taken through public policies that seek to reduce the effects of the consumption of foods with high energy value, one of them is the nutritional labeling of foods.


Development: As the first axis, a sociohistorical reconstruction is developed around food labeling in Mexico as an initiative that is part of an international public policy to present nutritional infor- mation for the selection and consumption of food. In a second moment, an analysis is carried out from a critical position on the implementation and exercise of decision-making for the consumption of said products, since it is subject to a complex network of sociocultural and individual factors that determine and are determinants of styles. and frequency of consumption of the products.


Conclusions: The new labeling with nutritional information is an information tool for the selection in food consumption to face the problem of overweight and obesity in Mexico. However, eating habits and practices respond to sociocultural and economic elements that are above healthy lifes- tyles and a culture of prevention. It is necessary to build and promote community participation-action that promotes tools such as nutritional labeling to make its objectives effective.

For further information, you can access the original source in Spanish

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Brazil – Published RDC No. 818 on health requirements for tabletop sweeteners and dietary sweeteners

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The National Health Surveillance Agency – (ANVISA in Portuguese) has published DRC No. 818 on health requirements for table-top sweeteners and dietary sweeteners.
In the case of products subject to this Resolution whose labels have already included the front nutritional labeling declaration, a period of 24 (twenty-four) months is established, counted from the date of entry into force of this Resolution.

For further information, you can access the original source in Portuguese

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Argentina – Food Code amendment published on snack and cookie type products

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The Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries together with the Secretariat of Health Quality have published Joint Resolution 26/2023.

ARTICLE 1º.- Article 760 tris of Chapter IX “Farinaceous Foods” of the Argentine Food Code is hereby replaced and shall be worded as follows: “Article 760 tris: With the denomination of products for snacks or for appetizers it is understood those elaborated from potatoes, cereals, flours or starches (derived from cereals, roots and tubers, legumes and pulses), with or without the addition of salt, spices, dried fruits, flavored or not, with or without the addition of other allowed ingredients, baked or fried.

ARTICLE 2.- Article 760 quater of Chapter IX “Farinaceous Foods” of the Argentine Food Code is hereby replaced and shall be worded as follows: “Article 760 quater: With the denomination of snacks cookies it is understood to the products elaborated with wheat flour or others or their mixtures with or without bran, with or without the addition of salt, with or without the addition of spices and other substances allowed for this class of products, flavored or not, with or without authorized chemical and/or biological agents, to which they are given varied forms. The cookies listed in Article 760 are excluded.

For further information, you can access the original source in Spanish

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Colombia – Draft regulation on uses and maximum levels of industrial trans fats and partially hydrogenated oils

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The Ministry of Health and Social Protection would establish a new technical regulation aimed at reducing the levels of trans fats in packaged foods and beverages intended for human consumption.
The project would be applicable to packaged foods, beverages and gastronomic preparations intended for human consumption in Colombia. It would also affect holders of registration, permit or sanitary notification of processed foods in the country.

Food and beverages for human consumption could not contain more than 2 grams of industrial trans fats per 100 grams of total fat. In addition, the use of partially hydrogenated oils would be prohibited in the processing of packaged foods and in the preparation of gastronomic preparations.

Packaged products would have to include on their labels the trans fat content in milligrams (mg) per 100 grams or milliliters of food and per serving of food, following the standards established in Resolution No. 810 of 2021 of the Ministry of Health.

For further information, you can access the original source in Spanish

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Ecuador – Public Consultation on Sanitary Hygiene Conditions for Food Processing Plants, Food for Special Dietary Uses Food Supplements

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The National Agency for Regulation, Control and Sanitary Surveillance (ARCSA in Spanish), has published in public consultation the External Instructions on Hygienic Sanitary Conditions – Food Processing Plants, Food for Special Dietary Uses, Food Supplements and Tobacco Products V 2.0″.

Closing date of the consultation: 19/10/2023.

For further information, you can access the original source in Spanish

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