Argentina – Milei’s government and the Republican Proposal party join forces to eliminate Front Food Labeling

27/11/2024 / infoAlimentario

The Law for the Promotion of Healthy Food, known as the Front Labeling Law, is under scrutiny by the government of Javier Milei. According to reports, modifications ranging from reducing the size of the black octagons on food packages to the complete repeal of the law, enacted in 2022 during Alberto Fernández’s term of office, are being analyzed.

The law, which seeks to warn about the excess of sugars, fats and sodium in ultra-processed products, has generated resistance since its implementation, especially among small and medium-sized companies, due to the additional costs of adaptation. Alejandro Bongiovani, deputy of the Republican Proposal Party (PRO in Spanish), described the law as “a case of excessive state interventionism” which, according to him, affects both companies and consumers.

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

Argentina – Front-of-Food Labeling

23/09/2024 / infoAlimentario

The Ministry of Economy, Industry and Commerce, through the Argentine School of Consumer Education, has published a material on Front Food Labeling. The purpose of this training content is to provide consumers with the necessary tools to make a conscious choice when purchasing food and/or food products within the framework of consumer rights and healthy eating.

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Costa Rica – Ombudsman’s Office backs decision to eliminate order to hide front food labeling

01/05/2024 / infoAlimentario

The Ombudsman’s Office supported the resolution of the Constitutional Chamber, announced yesterday, to eliminate the circular issued by the Ministry of Health that concealed the nutritional warning stamps on the front labeling of food. At the beginning of this month, the Ombudsman’s Office notified a report to the Ministry of Health in which it recommended to the Ministry to annul the circular, after an extensive technical and legal analysis.

The Ombudsman’s Office argued that the Ministry of Health did not demonstrate, with studies with quali-quantitative information, that the Front End Nutrition Warning Label (EFAN) of the imported products that carry it confused the consumer and that it had the corresponding legal basis. This investigation, in the opinion of this Ombudsman’s Office, should be carried out with the contributions of the academic sectors, professional associations and non-governmental organizations.

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

Argentina – Article: Front food labeling. A suture in the fragmented ordering of food security

27/07/2022 / infoAlimentario

This work aims to reflect upon the debate over the Promotion of Healthy Nutrition legislation 27.642, better known as frontal labeling legislation. Through a critical reflexive methodology, the potential value of the legislation is presented, as a contribution to overcome the fragmentation of the food safety regulation. First, the notion of regulatory fragmentation is explained. This notion is taken as prior assumption and analysis key. Second, the main pillars of this legislation are presented, as well as their contribution to the advance in the human right to food. Legislation 27642 is located precisely in the intersection of the sub-sectors that the regulation is fragmented. It is a first attempt of a normative and inter-institutional dialogue. Then, two appreciations on the value of the law´s legislative debate are presented: the democratization of the food lawmaking process, and the advice on some critical points in the food law institutional design. Finally, some challenges that the legislation could face during the regulation process, are presented.