The Americas – USA: The Americas: Minnesota Lawmakers Advance Legislation to Allow Hemp Extracts to be Used as a Food Additive

24/02/202224/02/2022 / infoAlimentario

Minnesota lawmakers approved legislation Feb. 21 that would open up a new market for hemp growers.

The Minnesota House Agriculture Finance and Policy Committee advanced HF2996, sponsored by Rep. Samantha Vang (D), in a 13-0 vote, which would allow hemp extracts to be used as a food additive.

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) would be responsible for regulating the testing, labeling, production, and manufacturing of such products, as well as the dosing levels for the food additives, the Minnesota Legislature reported.

For further information, you can access the original source

The Americas – Argentina: The INV has defined a new wine product: a drink made of must and wine

23/02/202222/02/2022 / infoAlimentario

By Resolution 02/2022, the National Institute of Viticulture (INV in Spanish) defined a new wine product called Must and Wine based beverage or Must and Wine based product. It is obtained from a minimum of 50% of the sum of must and wine, to which sweeteners, colorants, flavorings, alcohol and food quality products duly authorized by the competent body may be added.

The labeling of these new products must be in accordance with the regulations in force for wine products, and the percentages of the non-wine compounds of which they are composed must also be indicated.

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

The Americas – Mexico: Draft amendment to implement front labeling of transgenic products

22/02/202221/02/2022 / infoAlimentario

Congresswoman Celeste Sánchez Romero (PT) presented an initiative to reform several provisions of the General Law on Health and Biosafety of Genetically Modified Organisms, with the purpose of guaranteeing the consumer’s right to information, through front labeling.

He stated that the information contained in the labels must be truthful, objective, clear, understandable, precise and useful for the consumer, in order to allow identifying at a glance the content of transgenic products.

In a press release, he stated that Mexico has a severe delay in the front labeling of transgenic products, which have a strong impact on the health of those who consume them, when they are consumed over a long period of time.

For further information, you can access the original source (in Spanish), click on the Link

The Americas – Cuba: Draft Food Sovereignty and Food and Nutritional Security Law under analysis

22/02/202226/02/2022 / infoAlimentario

The Plan for Food Sovereignty and Nutritional Education in Cuba must have a legislative framework that allows its regulation, which was discussed at the Ministry of Agriculture, through a legislative hearing convened by the National Assembly of People’s Power (ANPP).

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

The Americas – Argentina: Authorities remain tight-lipped on content of front-of-package food labeling regulation

22/02/2022 / infoAlimentario

Sources from the Ministry of Health assure that the draft is “in the final agreement stage” with the institutions “that participate in the development stage as well as in the subsequent implementation stage”. They do not specify when the final text will be known.

The Ministry of Health confirms that the regulation has been developed under an inter-sectorial agenda with all the actors involved; ministries and public bodies, civil society organizations, representatives of the industry chambers. All voices have been heard in order to carry out a responsible and comprehensive regulation, which allows the correct implementation of a public policy that promotes healthy habits and access to information in a clear and timely manner”.

Among the aspects that remain to be defined, an important one is the calorie seal. On this there is information, although incomplete: “The enforcement authority defined that in food and alcoholic beverages the application of the seal ‘excess calories’ will apply if they have at least one seal of excess sugars and/or total fat and/or saturated fat and when the energy value limits are equal to or greater than those established in Article 6” of the Law on Front Labeling.