Chile: The Ministry of Health has published the public amendment to the Food Health Regulation on sugars

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The Ministry of Health has published Decree 41 in the Official Gazette (Number 43,827), which modifies article 383 of the Health Food Regulations.

“Article 383.- The name sugars will be understood as sweetening carbohydrates, refined, concentrated and/or crystallized monosaccharides and disaccharides, for labeling purposes, which must be labeled with their specific name.
Sugars will be classified into “traditional” sugars and “non-traditional” sugars.
“Traditional” sugars mean carbohydrates, refined, concentrated and/or crystallized monosaccharides and disaccharides, which provide 4 kcal per gram, such as: glucose, fructose, galactose, sucrose, lactose and maltose.
“Non-traditional” sugars mean the following carbohydrates: Tagatose and Allulose.
When, in this regulation, sugars are mentioned without another name, they will be understood as traditional sugars. Furthermore, in the case of establishing sugars as a condition in the ingredients of various products regulated in this regulation, their replacement, total or partial, with non-traditional sugars will be accepted.
Both types of sugars, traditional and non-traditional, must be labeled with their specific name in the ingredient list.
In the declaration of nutrients, non-traditional sugars must be declared with their specific name and must not be considered either in the contribution of total sugars or total sugars, or in the contribution of available carbohydrates.
The caloric contribution of non-traditional sugars must be considered in the energy contribution of the product, and will be calculated according to the energy conversion factors established, for these purposes, by the Ministry of Health through a technical standard published in the Official Gazette.
In products made with non-traditional sugars, the following phrase must be labeled, as appropriate:

  • In the case of Allulose: “Intakes of 28 grams/serving or more of Allulose may cause gastrointestinal discomfort or a laxative effect.”
  • In the case of Tagatose: “Intakes of 30 grams/serving or more of Tagatose may cause gastrointestinal discomfort or a laxative effect.”

Article 2.- This decree will come into force 24 months after its publication in the Official Gazette.

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Uruguay – Public Consultation on the MERCOSUR Technical Regulation on monomers, other starting substances and polymers for the production of plastic containers and equipment in contact with food

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Draft Resolution No. 10/23 seeks to update the positive list of monomers, other starting substances and polymers authorized for the manufacture of plastic containers and equipment in contact with food, by amending Resolution GMC No. 02/12.

The document put out for public consultation was prepared within the scope of the Food Commission (CA) of GTS No. 3 and aims to include, at the end of the positive list of Part I of the Annex to Resolution GMC No. 02/12, the substance Tetramethyl bisphenol F Diglycyl ether (TMBPF-DGE) and to include, in the “List of authorized polymers” of Part V of the Annex to Resolution GMC No. 02/12, the substance Polyamide-imide 2 (PAI-2), with the restrictions and specifications determined. For the preparation of the above-mentioned MERCOSUR Technical Regulation, Resolution GMC No. 03/92 on “General criteria for food packaging and equipment in contact with food” and Resolution GMC No. 02/12, which approved the “MERCOSUR Technical Regulation on food packaging and equipment in contact with food”, were taken into account. which approved the “MERCOSUR Technical Regulation on Positive List of Monomers, other Starting Substances and Polymers authorized for the manufacture of Plastic Containers and Equipment in Contact with Food”.

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Uruguay – Public Consultation on modification of MERCOSUR Resolutions on food additives

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Draft Resolution Nº 13/23 “Modification of GMC Resolutions Nº 50/97, 53/98, 54/98, 16/00, 51/00, 07/06, 08/06, 09/06, 09/06, 09/07 and 02/08 on Food Additives” seeks to update food additives and their maximum concentrations for specific food categories.

The document put out for public consultation was developed within the scope of the GTS No. 3 Food Committee (FC) and proposes to “update food additives and their maximum concentrations for food categories 3. Edible Ice Creams, 5: Jams (Candies, Tablets, Confectionery, Chewing Gum, Nougats, Cocoa Products and Cocoa Products, Chocolates, Chocolates, Chocolates, Bonbons, Filled Baths and other Similar Products), 6: Cereals and Cereal and/or Cereal-Based Products, 7: Bread and Biscuit Products, 12: Soups and Broths, 13: Sauces and Condiments, 16. Non-alcoholic Beverages, 18: Snacks, 19: Desserts and 21: Industrial Culinary Preparations”. For the preparation of these MERCOSUR Technical Regulations, GMC Resolution Nº 50/97, GMC Resolution Nº 53/98, GMC Resolution Nº 54/98, GMC Resolution Nº 16/00, GMC Resolution Nº 51/00, GMC Resolution Nº 07/06, GMC Resolution Nº 08/06, GMC Resolution Nº 09/06, GMC Resolution Nº 09/07, GMC Resolution Nº 02/08 and the toxicological evaluations of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) were taken into account.

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

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Brazil – New technical regulation on materials in contact with food

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The National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA in Portuguese) has published Resolution RDC No. 854/2024 on Provides requirements for sanitary conditions applicable to packaging, coatings, utensils, lids and metal equipment intended to come into contact with food.
This Technical Regulation applies to packaging, coatings, utensils, utensils, lids and equipment made of metal materials, coated or uncoated, that come into contact with food and its raw materials during production, preparation, transport, distribution and storage. Printing inks, varnishes on tableware and enamels used on the external surface shall not be subject to the provisions of these regulations, provided that they do not come into direct contact with food, nor with the user’s mouth in the form of habitual use.

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Article/Brazil – Monitoring the first implementation year of the new nutrition labeling regulations in Brazil

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Objective This study aimed to monitor the initial 12 months of the implementation of the updated nutrition labeling regulations in Brazil approved in 2020, focusing on the presence and readability of the front-of-package nutrition labeling (FOPNL) on food packages and the presence of added sugars information in the nutrition facts panel.

Methods We used data on nutrition information and FOPNL of 6,829 food and beverages packages launched at Brazilian food retail between November 2022 and October 2023, available at the Mintel – Global New Products Database. We applied eligibility criteria regarding food groups and cut-off limits for three critical nutrients stipulated by regulations to identify products eligible for FOPNL. We classified the food and beverage according to the NOVA classification, identified the products with added sugars information in the nutrition facts panel and those with FOPNL for added sugar, saturated fat or sodium. Moreover, we analyzed the temporal trends in FOPNL presence among eligible products during the study period. Last, a subsample of 202 product labels was analyzed to identify non-compliance with FOPNL readability standards.

Results 63.9% of the products analyzed were eligible for at least one critical nutrient’s FOPNL; however, only 12.9% already featured FOPNL by the end of the 12-month implementation period. Among ultra-processed products, 65.1% were supposed to have FOPNL, but only 14.4% did. Less than 30% of sweet cookies, ice cream, tabletop sweeteners, and candies with added sugar in the list of ingredients declared this information in the nutritional facts panel. Analysis of label images revealed non-compliance with FOPNL readability regarding its location on the packaging, FOPNL in removable parts of the packaging or hidden positions, and inadequate color pattern and format.

Conclusion The implementation of the nutrition labeling regulations in Brazil within the first 12 months reached less than 15% of eligible foods and beverages, indicating non-compliance by the food industry. In this period, almost all new launched products available in the market should have been compliant with the new regulations. Such inadequacies undermine the expected impact of promoting healthier choices at the point of food purchase.

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

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