Argentina – Food Code amendment published on snack and cookie type products

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The Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries together with the Secretariat of Health Quality have published Joint Resolution 26/2023.

ARTICLE 1º.- Article 760 tris of Chapter IX “Farinaceous Foods” of the Argentine Food Code is hereby replaced and shall be worded as follows: “Article 760 tris: With the denomination of products for snacks or for appetizers it is understood those elaborated from potatoes, cereals, flours or starches (derived from cereals, roots and tubers, legumes and pulses), with or without the addition of salt, spices, dried fruits, flavored or not, with or without the addition of other allowed ingredients, baked or fried.

ARTICLE 2.- Article 760 quater of Chapter IX “Farinaceous Foods” of the Argentine Food Code is hereby replaced and shall be worded as follows: “Article 760 quater: With the denomination of snacks cookies it is understood to the products elaborated with wheat flour or others or their mixtures with or without bran, with or without the addition of salt, with or without the addition of spices and other substances allowed for this class of products, flavored or not, with or without authorized chemical and/or biological agents, to which they are given varied forms. The cookies listed in Article 760 are excluded.

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

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Colombia – Draft regulation on uses and maximum levels of industrial trans fats and partially hydrogenated oils

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The Ministry of Health and Social Protection would establish a new technical regulation aimed at reducing the levels of trans fats in packaged foods and beverages intended for human consumption.
The project would be applicable to packaged foods, beverages and gastronomic preparations intended for human consumption in Colombia. It would also affect holders of registration, permit or sanitary notification of processed foods in the country.

Food and beverages for human consumption could not contain more than 2 grams of industrial trans fats per 100 grams of total fat. In addition, the use of partially hydrogenated oils would be prohibited in the processing of packaged foods and in the preparation of gastronomic preparations.

Packaged products would have to include on their labels the trans fat content in milligrams (mg) per 100 grams or milliliters of food and per serving of food, following the standards established in Resolution No. 810 of 2021 of the Ministry of Health.

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

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Ecuador – Public Consultation on Sanitary Hygiene Conditions for Food Processing Plants, Food for Special Dietary Uses Food Supplements

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The National Agency for Regulation, Control and Sanitary Surveillance (ARCSA in Spanish), has published in public consultation the External Instructions on Hygienic Sanitary Conditions – Food Processing Plants, Food for Special Dietary Uses, Food Supplements and Tobacco Products V 2.0″.

Closing date of the consultation: 19/10/2023.

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

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Brazil – ANVISA revises the classification of dietary and table-top sweeteners

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The directors of the National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA in Portuguese), meeting during the 15th Ordinary Public Assembly of 2023, deliberated on the modification of the framework applicable to dietary and tabletop sweeteners. The proposal aims to contribute to a more consistent and proportional application of nutrition labeling of products, based on their compositional characteristics and intended use.

The idea is that table-top sweeteners should be classified as food additives formulated with one or more authorized sweeteners, intended for use by the final consumer to sweeten food or beverages. Dietary sweeteners should be defined as table-top sweeteners formulated without the addition of the ingredients sucrose, fructose and glucose.

The change in the legal framework would focus on the following aspects:

  • The frontal nutrition declaration of these products will now be prohibited, considering that food additives are included in Regulatory Instruction No 75/2020, more precisely in Annex XVI, which defines the list of foods whose frontal nutrition labeling is prohibited.
  • The definition of the serving size of table-top sweeteners will be made by the manufacturer, according to the preparation instructions indicated on the label, in accordance with Resolution of the Collegiate Council (RDC) 429/2020 (art. 9, V), in a manner similar to synthetic sweeteners.
  • Dietary sweeteners will follow the standard list of nutrients to be declared in the Nutrition Facts table, similar to table-top sweeteners and other formulated food additives, also in accordance with DRC No 429/2020 (art. 5, I to XIII).

It is important to note that there will be no other changes to the substance of other established health requirements on composition, safety, labeling and regularization of products.

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

CARICOM – Draft Regional Standard For Voting – Labelling of Pre-Packaged Foods – Specification (Revision)

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The The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) has issued the final draft CARICOM Regional Standard,  Labelling of Pre-Packaged Foods – Specification (Revision) for voting.

This CARICOM Regional Standard is applicable to the labelling of all pre-packaged foods to be offered to the consumer or pre-packaged foods for catering purposes.

This standard is not applicable to food:

  • Weighed or measured in or counted into the package in the presence of the purchaser or consumer;
  • Intended for export only, which complies with the requirements of standards or laws on labelling of the country to which they are being exported.
  • Repackaged from bulk at the place where the food is sold by retailer.

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