Brazil – MAPA Ordinance eliminates expiration date for fresh packaged products

13/08/202205/09/2022 / infoAlimentario

The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA in Portuguese) published Ordinance No. 458, which dispenses with the obligation to indicate the expiration date on packaged fresh vegetables. The new ordinance modifies Normative Instruction No. 69/2018 and complies with Resolution RDC No. 259/2002 of the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa), which already provided for the waiver of this information.

The secretary of Agricultural Defense of the Map, José Guilherme Leal, explains that the measure is important in the fight against food waste, because tons of fruit are lost annually in Brazil due to the expiration date, however, without being suitable for the consumption. “The expiration date that appeared on the packaging was not related to the quality of the product, since the consumer himself is able to see if a vegetable product is suitable for consumption only by visual appearance,” said Leal. When buying fresh vegetables, the consumer can identify if they are rotten, withered or smelly, that is, if they are not good for consumption.

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

Argentina – Vegan and vegetarian foods included in the Argentine Food Code

13/08/2022 / infoAlimentario

Through Joint Resolution 5/2022, the Secretariat of Health Quality and the Secretariat of Food, Bioeconomy and Regional Development published the inclusion of vegan and vegetarian foods in the Food Code.

ARTICLE 1 – Article 229 is hereby incorporated into the Argentine Food Code (AAC) and shall be worded as follows: “Article 229: Products that do not contain ingredients of animal origin and/or their derivatives (including additives and coadjuvants) may bear the legends “Only with ingredients of vegetable origin”, “100% vegetable”, “Made from plants”, provided that the manufacturers and importers accredit before the competent Health Authority within the framework of the product authorization such condition.

The term “vegan” is reserved for products that do not contain ingredients of animal origin and/or their derivatives (including additives and coadjuvants) and whose manufacturers and importers accredit before the competent national organizations that their processes and management system guarantee compliance with the above described, which may be verified by an officially recognized entity. These products may include in their labels the legends: “VEGAN PRODUCT” or “VEGAN FOOD”.

The term “vegetarian” is reserved for products that do not contain ingredients of animal origin and/or their derivatives (including additives and coadjuvants), except for the following ingredients and/or their components or derivatives:

milk, milk products;
eggs or egg products obtained from live animals;
honey or bee products.

The labels of these products may include the legends: “VEGETARIAN PRODUCT” or “VEGETARIAN FOOD”, as long as the manufacturers and importers accredit before the competent Health Authority within the framework of the product’s authorization.

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

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Argentina – Published amendments to the Argentine Food Code on coffee

13/08/2022 / infoAlimentario

By means of Joint Resolution 4/2022, the Secretariat of Health Quality and Secretariat of Food, Bioeconomics and Regional Development published the modification of Article 1.174 of the Argentine Food Code (CAA) in order to allow the use of flavoring/flavorings other than coffee flavor/flavor in products called Soluble Coffee, Instant Coffee, Coffee Powder Extract and Coffee Powder Concentrate. A review was also carried out on the relevance of contemplating the addition of flavoring/flavorings in the products described in articles 1.165, 1.166, 1.174 bis, 1.170, 1.171, 1.174 and 1.175 of the Argentine Food Code (CAA), referring to other types of coffee.

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

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Colombia: PAHO congratulates the Ministry of Health for its efforts in food labeling

13/08/2022 / infoAlimentario

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) congratulated the Ministry of Health and Social Protection (MinSalud) for advancing the process of labeling processed foods.
Through its Twitter account, the PAHO delegation in Colombia assured that this modification is an advance in public health in the country.

“PAHO congratulates the authorities for the publication of the new front labeling resolution that modifies Resolution 810. It is a great advance in the prevention of obesity in Colombia,” said the agency.

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

Argentina: Ultra-pasteurized cream of milk incorporated into the Food Code

04/08/2022 / infoAlimentario

Joint Resolution 3/2022 includes Article 585 bis to the Argentine Food Code (CAA), which will be worded as follows: “Article 585 bis: The name Ultrapasteurized Milk Cream means the dairy product relatively rich in fat, separated from milk by technologically appropriate procedures, which takes the form of an emulsion of fat in water. It must be subjected for at least 2 seconds to a minimum temperature of 138°C, or any equivalent time-temperature combination, by a continuous flow thermal process, immediately cooled to less than 5°C and packed in suitable hermetically sealed containers.

Ultra-pasteurized milk cream is classified -according to its fat content and according to item 5 of this article- into:

(a) Low-fat cream, or Light cream or Semi-cream.

b) Cream.

c) High fat cream.