Food labeling is essential, new legislations on food labeling have been established to ensure legibility. Products with nutritional claims are present on the label and contribute to healthier choices, so it is necessary to have a clear and reliable label. This study aimed to analyze food labels with functionality claims for the presence of fiber, checking whether they comply with current legislation, in light of labeling updates. This research took place in 3 supermarkets in the city of Caucaia in the state of Ceara, North east Brazil and 30 labels with nutritional claims were selected. A check list was prepared based on RDC nº 727/2022, which included two articles, RDC nº 429/2020 and IN nº 75 with 38 items, and data analysis was carried out using the Excel program. An Adequacy of 89% was obtained in Article 4, and 73% in Article 7 of RDC 727/2022 and 51% in RDC nº 429/2020.
In relation to the percentage of conformity per label evaluated, 24 brands achieved 80%. It is observed that few labels are in accordance with the legislation, this implies nutritional labeling showed non-compliance, the nutritional claims displayed results below expectations, and so the market must initiate changes in order to meet the requirements of the current legislation.
nutritional claims
Article – Marketing techniques, health, and nutritional claims on processed foods and beverages before and after the implementation of mandatory front-of-package warning labels in Peru
In June 2019, mandatory front-of-package warning labels (FOPL) were implemented in Peru. The aim of the study was to describe changes in marketing strategies on packaging: marketing techniques (MT), health claims (HC), and nutritional claims (NC) on the packaging of products frequently consumed by children before and after the FOPL implementation. Product photos were taken pre- (March 2019) and post-implementation (March-October 2020) in three supermarkets in Lima, Peru. Following INFORMAS protocols and Peruvian Technical Norms, the presence of MT, HC, and NC was assessed on all package sides. Products were classified as “high-in” and “not high-in” based on the regulation threshold for critical nutrients. Differences in the proportion of products with each strategy in both periods were evaluated. Also, a subsample of products was matched according to the barcode and exact McNemar test was used to compare proportions of strategies pre/post-implementation. We included 883 and 1,035 products in pre- and post-implementation, respectively. In both periods, MT appeared on almost 70% of all products. The presence of HC increased significantly only for beverages (24.5–38.1%, p < 0.001). In both phases, NC were commonly used on beverages (>80%). Overall, the prevalence of “high-in” products using MT increased (73.6–82.1%, p = 0.007), while use of HC increased among “not high-in” products (32.9–41.6%, p < 0.001). There is a high frequency of MT on all products and NC on beverages. The increase in MT in “high-in” products may be an industry response to minimize the impact of the FOPL on food choices and sales. New regulatory aspects regarding labeling should be implemented to strengthen the current policy.
Brazil: Anvisa will hold a webinar on nutritional claims
Anvisa will hold a webinar next Monday (5/30/05), at 3 p.m., to address nutrition claims, in accordance with Collegiate Council Resolution (RDC) 429/2020 and Normative Instruction (IN) 75/2020. DRC 429/2020 provides for nutrition labeling of packaged foods and IN 75/2020 establishes the technical requirements for the declaration of nutrition labeling of packaged foods.The webinar is a virtual seminar that aims to strengthen Anvisa’s transparency initiatives, bringing updated content and knowledge to the public. The transmission is via webcast and the interaction with users takes place in real time, through a chat during the event. See the Agency’s specific webinars page.
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