The Americas

Mexico – Call to citizens to participate in the public consultation to strengthen food labeling in Mexico

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Members of the Alliance for Food Health have announced the commencement of the public consultation period for the Project to Amend the Official Mexican Standard NOM-051-SCFI/SSA1-2010, which governs the labeling of prepackaged foods and non-alcoholic beverages. They have urged the public to actively participate in defending and enhancing the right to clear and truthful information regarding the products they consume.

In December 2025, the Ministry of Economy published the public consultation notice for this amendment project, representing a crucial opportunity for citizen engagement in the regulatory improvement process of one of the most significant public health and consumer protection policies in the country.

Warning labels and precautionary statements regarding ingredients not recommended for children (such as caffeine and non-caloric sweeteners) have marked a significant advancement towards the prevention of diet-related chronic diseases and the protection of consumer rights.

However, civil society organizations and academia have identified misleading practices by various companies, particularly large brands of sweetened beverages, that attempt to obscure labels and statements by using tiny font sizes or placing them in less visible areas of the packaging.

Panama – Draft TECHNICAL REGULATION DGNTI XX-2025 Food Technology. Meat Products. Processed meat products. Specifications

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The Ministry of Commerce and Industries has published the TECHNICAL REGULATION DGNTI XX-2025 Food Technology. Meat Products. Processed meat products. Specifications. This technical regulation aims to establish the specifications that processed meat products, including poultry, must meet. It applies to processed meat products, including poultry, that are produced or imported for marketing in the Republic of Panama and intended for human consumption. Unprocessed meats are excluded.

RT_DGNTI-XX_2025-Productos-Carnicos-ElaboradosDownload

Panama – Draft TECHNICAL REGULATION DGNTI XX-2025 Food Technology. Fresh Fruits and Vegetables. Avocado. Specifications

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The Ministry of Commerce and Industries has published the TECHNICAL REGULATION DGNTI XX-2025 Food Technology. Fresh Fruits and Vegetables. Avocado. Specifications. Conformity Assessment. This technical regulation aims to establish the technical and quality specifications that avocado (Persea americana) must meet.

RT-DGNTI-XX-2025-AGUACATEDownlaod

Panama – Draft TECHNICAL REGULATION DGNTI XX-2025. Food Technology. Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

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El Ministerio de Comercio e Industrias ha publicado el  REGLAMENTO TÉCNICO  DGNTI XX-2025. Tecnología de los Alimentos. Frutas y Hortalizas Frescas. Evaluación de la Conformidad. El proyecto de Reglamento Técnico establece los procedimientos de evaluación de la conformidad aplicables a las frutas, hortalizas y vegetales, con el fin de verificar el cumplimiento de los Reglamentos Técnicos vigentes, proteger la salud del consumidor y garantizar prácticas leales de comercio en el territorio de la República de Panamá.

RT-DGNTI-XX-2025_Evaluacion-de-la-Conformidad-FrutasDownload

Ecuador – Congress proposes regulating front-of-pack nutrition labeling

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With the aim of preventing non-communicable chronic diseases such as obesity, malnutrition, and childhood undernutrition, the representative of the province of Guayas, Cristina Jácome, presented the Organic Law Reform Bill to the Organic Health Law for the Comprehensive Regulation of Front-of-Package Nutrition Labeling.

The proposal seeks to update and strengthen compliance with the comprehensive technical regulations for front-of-pack nutritional labeling using the Octagon Graphic System (OGS) on processed foods. This includes classification parameters, graphic design, analytical methodologies, and nutritional profiles, in coordination with the national standardization body.

It also proposes the implementation and maintenance of population-based nutritional surveillance systems, monitoring compliance with labeling requirements, evaluating the impact on consumption patterns, and industrial product reformulation.

The legislator argued that non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Ecuador, generating a high disease burden that significantly affects the population’s quality of life and the sustainability of the health system, according to data from the Ministry of Public Health updated for the 2024–2025 period.