The Federal Commission for the Protection against Health Risks (COFEPRIS in Spanish) has published the Guide for the labeling of alcoholic beverages. The purpose of this guide is to inform manufacturers, marketers, consumers, importers and distributors about the elements that an alcoholic beverage label must contain in accordance with the applicable health legislation in force, so that these products can be marketed and consumed without posing a health risk to the population.
Brazil – Bill introduced to establish penalties for false advertising of dietary supplements
Bill 5742/23 establishes a prison sentence of one to five years, in addition to a fine, for whoever falsely advertises dietary supplements. Under analysis in the Chamber of Deputies, the text inserts the penalty in the Penal Code.
The proposal also determines that the labels of the supplements must inform that the product has no therapeutic or pharmacological action and that it is not indicated for the treatment, prevention or cure of diseases.
Currently, whoever advertises products contrary to health legislation is subject to suspension of sales and a fine. According to the legislation, the fine varies from R$ 2,000, for minor infractions, to R$ 1.5 million, for very serious infractions.
Argentina – Nutritional Labeling Front
The Law for the Promotion of Healthy Eating established that all food and beverages packaged in the absence of the customer must have on their front face the warning seals according to their nutrient profile and informing the excess of sugars, fat, sodium and/or calories, or when they contain caffeine and/or sweeteners.
Since the enactment of the Law on October 26, 2021, the Congress established a schedule of adequacy sequenced in 2 stages of implementation. To date, the deadlines of the schedule ended on November 20, 2023.
In this sense and in the framework of compliance with the law, its regulatory decree and ANMAT Provision No. 2673/2022, the National Administration informs that all obliged subjects of food products covered by the front labeling must have the affidavit of mandatory nature established by the regulation and at the same time, products manufactured after November 20, must present the warning seals on the main face of the package at the time of being marketed.
Brazil – New decrees provide guidelines for healthy nutrition in schools and cities
The renewal of the National Conference on Food and Nutritional Security has a special meaning for more than one thousand participants: the strength of civil society. Representatives from all over the country will hold, in Brasilia, until next July (14.12), the 6th edition of the meeting. This March (12), during the official inauguration, three new decrees signed by President Lula were presented that conform the strategy to promote food and nutritional security in Brazil.
The texts were published in an extra edition of the Official Gazette of the Union and addressed adequate and healthy nutrition at school and in cities. One of them also establishes the National Food Supply Policy (PNAAB) and foresees the elaboration of the National Food Supply Plan. For the holder of the Ministry of Development and Social Assistance, Family and Fight against the Hambre, Wellington Dias, the decrees guarantee “healthy food conditions in all regions of Brazil and, also, the supply and regulation, which allows this solidity”.
Article – Analysis of the arguments received in the public consultation for the Mexican front warning labeling
Objective. To analyze the different elements of the arguments received during the public consultation of the Modification Project to the Official Mexican Standard-051 (NOM-051), emphasizing the protection of children and adolescents. Materials and methods. The information provided in 1 095 arguments was analyzed. Key actors were identified, and a content analysis was carried out to identify if the position was in favor or against the numerals related to the protection of children and adolescents. The analysis
was done using NVivo software. Results. 781 key players were identified. During the public consultation, four private sector tactics were identified to interfere in the NOM-051 process: a) front groups that sent comments against NOM- 051; b) questions about the scientific evidence on the relationship between consumption of sweeteners and obesity in schoolchildren; c) questions about the effectiveness of the
use of warning labeling for sweeteners; d) comments aboutcindividual responsibility individuals responsible for their disease. Conclusion. The interference of the private sector in the NOM-051 implementation process was evident in the comments submitted during the public consultation.
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