The Americas

Regulatory news in the Americas

Peru – Opinion approved that eliminates or reduces sugar consumption in the Glass of Milk Program

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The amounts transferred by the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) for the Glass of Milk Program will finance only the value of the food ration, without covering the value of sugar. In no case, the amount of sugar can exceed 15 grams per ration, in order to protect the health and quality of their food and fight against diseases such as obesity, cavities and diabetes.

This is established by the opinion approved, unanimously (10 votes), by the Commission for Social Inclusion and People with Disabilities, chaired by Congresswoman Francis Paredes Castro (PP).

This is the opinion issued on Bill No. 8355, authored by Congresswoman Hilda Portero López (AP), which proposes the modification of Law 27470, which establishes complementary norms to improve the management of the Glass of Milk Program and excludes sugar to raise the nutritional status of its beneficiaries.

Paredes Castro indicated that the National Institute of Health (INS) warned that, “evidence indicates that excessive consumption of added sugar is frequently associated with a lower quality of the diet and has an important pathophysiological role and predisposes to critical cardiometabolic effects such as weight gain, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.”

Peru – Ministry of Health announces reorganization of the General Directorate of Environmental Health to improve efficiency

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Through Ministerial Resolution No. 809-2024/MINSA, the Ministry of Health declares the General Directorate of Environmental Health and Food Safety (DIGESA in Spanish) in administrative reorganization, as announced by the Minister of Health, Cesar Vasquez last Friday, ratifying his commitment to fight corruption and ensure food safety for the population.
The purpose of the Resolution is to declare DIGESA under administrative reorganization, in order to carry out a comprehensive evaluation of its processes and resources to ensure an effective and efficient operation and thus improve the quality of the services it provides to the public.

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Nicaragua – III Meeting of Directors of Central American Economic Integration is held and proposes to update the Food Additives Regulation.

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Within the framework of the III Meeting of Directors of Central American Economic Integration, which took place from November 20 to 22 in Managua, and coordinated by the Ministry of Development, Industry and Commerce (MIFIC in Spanish) in the exercise of the Pro-Tempore Presidency of Central American Integration, it was agreed, among other things, to update the Central American Technical Regulations (RCTA en español) on Food Additives, which will be submitted to the Council of Ministers of Economic Integration (COMIECO en español ) for its approval.

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

Brazil – ANVISA issues guidance on health claims for nutrients with fully recognized functions in packaged food labeling

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The National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA in Portuguese) published a Technical Note (in Portuguese) describing the guidelines on the use of functional property claims for nutrients with fully recognized functions in foods, in light of the gaps identified in the current regulations, the recurrent questions received by the General Food Management (GGALI) and the need to provide guidelines to carry out food sanitary control actions, especially in light of the recent changes in the regulatory framework for the regularization of food under the jurisdiction of the National Health Surveillance System (SNVS in Portuguese).

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Paraguay – INAN transfers regulatory powers over food to DINAVISA

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The Minister of Health, Dr. María Teresa Barán, led a meeting today at the headquarters of the National Institute of Food and Nutrition (INAN in Spanish), together with the acting director of the National Directorate of Health Surveillance (DINAVISA in Spanish), Ms. Jorge Illou, to plan actions aimed at complying with Law No. 7.361/24, which consolidates health surveillance and food control in a single entity.

During the meeting, Minister Barán emphasized that this transition seeks to strengthen the public health response without affecting the stability of the personnel. “We want this change not to be a problem, but an opportunity. INAN will continue to fulfill its function within the Ministry of Health, while Dinavisa will take over the regulatory responsibility,” said the Minister, noting that food programs will remain under ministerial control.

For his part, the director of DINAVISA, Jorge Illou, stressed the importance of a unified system that responds to the growing demands of food quality and safety. “With this change, we seek to align ourselves with international models and offer better training and stability for regulatory personnel,” he said.

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