The Americas

Regulatory news in the Americas

Dominican Republic – Government launches National Plan for Food and Nutritional Sovereignty and Security 2023-2026

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The Ministry of the Presidency (MINPRE) led this Thursday the launching of the National Plan for Food and Nutritional Sovereignty and Security 2023-2026 and the election of the national representative of the SSAN Network, Erick Dante Papaterra.

Delivering the keynote address, the Minister of the Presidency, Joel Santos Echavarría, said that the scope of this national plan is focused on the adoption of new approaches and the incorporation of comprehensive and innovative solutions, to make the national food system more sustainable and thereby also stimulate the existence of an environment of food and nutritional security in line with citizens’ expectations.

The plan presents a programmatic structure composed of five components: Governance, Food Availability, Access, Food and Nutrition, Climate Change and Risk Management. Each component has lines of intervention and lines of action.

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

Uruguay – Ministry of Health issued more than 500 fines for non-compliance in mandatory food labeling

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The Ministry of Public Health (MSP) has already fined more than 500 companies for failing to comply with proper food labeling.

Mandatory food labeling, with octagons warning of excess sugars, fats, saturated fats or sodium, was approved during the Frente Amplio government. The current administration postponed its application and it finally came into force in February 2021.

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

Nutrition labeling and tax on sugar-sweetened beverages improve consumer health and country incomes: FAO

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Ten countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have enacted laws or regulations on Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labeling (ENPFE). Seven of these have implemented, or are in the process of implementing, nutrition warnings with black octagons, including Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Venezuela and Uruguay.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), these nutrition warnings with black octagons effectively reduce the intention to purchase products with excess calories, sugar, sodium and saturated fat, help consumers make healthier choices and contribute to the reformulation of food products.

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

Mexico – NOM-051: These are the new provisions that will come into force on March 8

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NOM-051 establishes the requirements for the advertising of food and non-alcoholic beverages in Mexico, with the objective of promoting healthy eating and preventing obesity and other diet-related diseases.

Last September, Mexico’s Ministry of Health published the decree reforming two regulations governing the front labeling and advertising of prepackaged food and non-alcoholic beverages.

The modification aims to:

– Harmonize the regulations with the new specifications of the front labeling system.

– Prohibit the use of characters, animations, cartoons, celebrities, athletes or mascots, interactive elements. Such as visual-spatial games or digital downloads in the advertising of prepackaged food and non-alcoholic beverages that exceed nutritional criteria and contain warning seals and/or precautionary statements.

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

Mexico – Further Restrictions on Food and Drink Labeling

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On September 8, 2022, the Federal Executive ordered the publication of a Decree amending, adding, and revoking various provisions of the Sanitary Control of Products and Services Regulations, and the General Health Law Regulations in Advertising Matters and which entered into force on September 12 of the current year.

Among other changes, article 25 bis1 of the Regulations for Sanitary Control of Products and Services, establishes that the label of prepackaged food and non-alcoholic beverages that include one or more warning stamps of the front labeling system, must not contain children’s characters, animations, cartoons, celebrities, athletes or mascots, interactive elements, such as visual-spatial games or digital downloads, aimed at girls and/or boys that incite, promote or encourage their consumption, purchase or choice; nor make reference to external elements for the same purpose.

For further information, you can access the original source