The Costa Rican Institute of Technical Standards (INTECO) has developed a technical standard and logo for companies wanting to communicate its product’s carbon and water footprint.
Mexico's Health Commission has approved a draft proposal to bring in front-of-pack nutrition warning labels and mandatory fortification in a bid to tackle obesity and malnutrition in the country.
Latin American government officials met in Mexico City this week to develop a regional road map to remove trans fats from food. We round up some of the region's regulatory action.
Six manufacturers that marketed blends of artificial sweeteners and stevia as 'stevia' only are misleading and must change their packaging, said Paraguayan regulatory authority, INAN.
Chile’s Chamber of Deputies is requesting an evaluation of the nation’s nutrition labeling law to assess if the law is meeting its objectives and if dietary habits are changing.
Between 65 and 80% of packaged food and beverage products in Colombia would meet criteria to receive front-of-package warning labels, says a new study.
Costa Rican food manufacturers are meeting national voluntary salt reduction targets for processed food, according to a survey carried for the Ministry of Health.
Mexico’s sugar tax is hitting poor people, increasing inequality and failing to tackle obesity, says the country’s soft drink group ANPRAC – but a recent academic paper suggests even regressive sugar taxes are still “socially desirable”.
Brazil’s ANVISA has announced that the use of Moringa oleifera in food and supplements is prohibited based on the fact that there is no evaluation and proof of safety.
As of today (June 17), all processed food and drink products sold in Peru must carry a 'stop sign' warning label if they are high in salt, sugar and saturated fat, or contain trans fat.
Children in Costa Rica are exposed to "an overabundance" of unhealthy food marketing on television with over 90% of adverts against World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations, prompting calls for restrictions.
The future of cannabis in foods and supplements remains unclear for Mexico following the revocation of guidelines without any next-step plan, but a new regulatory instrument should come soon, says the principal of DPE International Consulting.
Brazilian politicians are trying to bring back the National Council of Food and Nutrition Security (CONSEA), suspending a provisional measure introduced by President Jair Bolsonaro that disbanded it.
ConMéxico: 'This confirms the label is correct, truthful and transparent'
Mexico’s Supreme Court of Justice has ruled the country’s nutrition label, SEFAB, is constitutional and respects the public’s right to food, health and information, a decision welcomed by the food industry but decried by civil society.
Mexico’s current nutrition label is deficient, incomprehensible and should be replaced by Chilean-style warning labels, a governmental advisory committee has said.
More than two-thirds (66.1%) of the adult population in Argentina is considered overweight, according to a recent national survey, which FIC (Fundación InterAmericana del Corazón) Argentina believes can be attributed to the lack of effective public health...
Front of pack (FOP) nutritional warnings do capture consumer attention and may steer them to a healthier choice within a category, says a new study from Uruguay.
Brazil moved one step closer to choosing a front-of-pack nutrition label as regulatory agency ANVISA publishes a report with over 33,000 public contributions.
By Brazil's ANVISA wraps up whole grain labeling consultation
Brazilian food authority ANVISA's open consultation on whole grain labeling ended last month, prompting public health experts to reiterate calls for stricter criteria.
Argentina's food waste law, which encourages food businesses to donate surplus produce to food banks while protecting them from prosecution, has entered into force.
Costa Rica has pledged to emit zero net carbon emissions by 2050. “Costa Rica is ready for the challenge of decarbonization,” says its minister of the environment – but is its food industry?
Brand familiarity and trust create a protective 'shield’ that leads consumers to perceive a product as healthy – even if a red warning traffic light is telling them otherwise, according to data from Ecuador and Chile.
One in 10 products is failing to meet mandatory maximum salt levels in Argentina, according to a survey, prompting health campaigners to call for stricter government monitoring.
Brazil’s Institute of Consumer Protection (IDEC) has launched a platform that allows the public to identify ‘misleading’ or ‘abusive’ food advertising.
The NOVA food classification bears "striking similarity" to the way ordinary Brazilians classify food, increasing its efficacy, according to a study. "This classification has introduced a new way of thinking about food," they write.
Brazil's National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) has published guidance on necessary requirements when applying to use probiotics in food and make associated health claims.
Strict environmental regulations in the Brazilian Amazon under previous governments helped make farmers more productive, according to a study. "Bolsonaro’s intentions to loosen environmental protections in the Amazon are a no-win for society,"...
Adding the Nutri-Score to food and drink resulted in Colombians choosing more green-labeled products - not fewer red ones - and spending more overall in-store. “This is a potential financial incentive to stores,” say the researchers.
By Will Chu, Niamh Michail, Hank Schultz, and Cheryl Tay
The interest in cannabidiol (CBD) use in food supplements, foods, and even as an ingredient in cosmetics has gained much momentum in the past five years, but what is the regulatory situation around the world?
Sambazon, a company that pioneered açai as an ingredient in the North American market, has denied press reports that it was subject to a fine in Brazil for violating biopiracy rules.
Chile's strict food regulations are helping mothers - and even children - make healthier food choices for the family, according to a study. The findings are “overwhelmingly positive”, say the researchers.
Brazil's National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) has released updated guidance on its 2018 dietary supplement regulations to help industry better understand and implement the framework.
Barbados' tax on sugary drinks has been effective in reducing sales of sugar-sweetened beverages - however the ad valorum tax may also encourage shoppers to switch to cheaper - and possibly more sugary - brands, researchers have suggested.
Brazil’s traceability law makes origin information for fresh fruit and vegetables mandatory, and is a boost for consumer transparency – but could make small producers less competitive, stakeholders warn.
Reformulating to remove warning labels by cutting salt and fat makes a product seem healthier than creating a health halo by adding fiber or vitamins, Chilean researchers have found.
There is a high level of public support for front-of-pack nutrition warning labels among the Uruguayan public, according to a 1,400-strong survey. “In the Latin American context, the Chilean scheme seems particularly appropriate," write the researchers.
‘We’re running out of time’: Big Food is compared to Big Tobacco in a polemic report that links it to the global obesity epidemic, along with malnutrition and climate change.
ConMéxico reacts: 'Our lobbying is legal, legitimate and transparent'
Mexico's lack of action to tackle its obesity crisis over the past six years may be due to policymakers' close ties with the food and drink industry, according to a report by consumer rights group El Poder del Consumidor.
Brazil’s agriculture minister Tereza Cristina Dias has revealed in an interview with international news organisation Reuters that the Brazilian Government is in negotiations to implement a self-monitoring system for meatpackers.
Brazil’s controversial president Jair Bolsonaro has got off to a controversial start, from disbanding the National Council of Food and Nutrition Security (CONSEA) to giving the agribusiness sector greater control over the Amazon in his first weeks in...
Maqui berries, casein hydrolysate and cacao pulp juice are amongst the foods subject to a consultation process that forms part of new EU regulation designed to improve conditions when bringing new and innovative foods to the market.
The 2016 law aims to restrict the exposure of children to advertising ofpre-packaged foods high in energy, saturated fats, sugars and/or sodium (HEFSS). A new study explores how much of an impact that could be.
Mexican households with higher untaxed beverage purchases before the country introduced its soda tax in 2014 had the “largest absolute and relative reductions in taxed beverages”, according to a new analysis.
