The Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition publishes the preliminary report of the final evaluation of compliance with the agreements of the collaboration plan for the improvement of the composition of food and beverages and other measures 2020.
The reformulation or improvement of food composition is one of the public health measures recommended by the European Union (EU) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to improve the food environment and facilitate healthier choices.
As of April 6, Resolution No. 165 of March 10, 2022, “which establishes the general and sanitary requirements to be met by foods that are, contain or are derived from genetically modified organisms”, will no longer be in effect.
According to Resolution No. 219 published in the Official Gazette, which indicates that the suspension is due to the fact that the General Directorate of Public Health informed that the content of Resolution No. 165 is under review and public consultation, for which reason it was considered to leave it without effect.
The Ministry of Economy, Industry and Commerce (MEIC in Spanish) issued an alert to people who consume fishery products, both pre-packaged and in bulk, regarding non-compliance with the labeling information of these foods.
For bulk products, the evaluation of mandatory labeling was oriented to aspects such as the common name of the species, the country of origin of the product and, in applicable cases, the “fresh or thawed product” legend. In establishments that sell food in this presentation, the main non-compliances were the lack of the name of the species and the country of origin.
According to the official, here reality is a function of what the evidence tells us, so I want to be very transparent. There are hexagonal and octagonal seals that show a degree of evidence. If the study shows that these are the best seals, then we will have to take measures,” added the official.
He also stated that before the end of Iván Duque’s government, the results of an independent study will be known and technical decisions will be taken based on the users.
Food and nutrition labeling is a strategic tool of the Ministry of Health (MS) allied to the National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA), developed with the aim of minimizing consumer exposure to industry abuse and misleading information; promote resources for access to more adequate, healthy and safe food, reduce rates of obesity, overweight and food insecurity; and for / beyond the prevention of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
This research aims to highlight the importance of labeling in promoting consumer autonomy for healthier food choices through nutrition education, reading and proper understanding of labels. It is a literature review, which sought guidelines on mandatory food labeling based on current Brazilian legislation, available on the ANVISA website, of which three resolutions were used.
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