Bringing together trusted global food industry coverage from across our universe of B2B titles to provide rolling updates and breaking news on the implications of COVID-19 for the food sector.
Chile's Algramo sells branded goods in reusable packaging, saving money for manufacturers - such as Nestlé and Unilever - and reducing plastic waste. “We keep packaging in the economy and out of the environment,” it says.
We talk to Tetra Pak about its packaging made from “fully traceable” Brazilian sugarcane certified by Bonsucro. “The decision to source in Brazil is part of our sustainability commitment,” says the company’s director of sourcing and manufacturing.
Mexico's nutrition label is once again on path to enter into force as a court revokes the decision to provisionally suspend it, although industry says it will continue to oppose the regulation using "all legal means".
A judge has temporarily suspended Mexico’s front-of-pack warning label following a request lodged by business lobbies on the grounds it was not widely consulted or based on scientific evidence.
Brazil’s GMO logo has been mandatory since 2003 but three-quarters of Brazilians do not recognize it, according to a recent study. Should it be removed - as a draft law currently proposes - or redesigned?
The Colombian government and food industry have agreed on warning nutrition labels that will become mandatory on unhealthy food and drink products sold in the country.
Made with vegetable extracts, a natural coating for fresh produce means people can eat just fruit, not synthetic chemical waxes, says the Chilean start-up behind the product, PolyNatural.
Demand for food products that are beneficial to emotional health and well-being is strong among Brazilian consumers even across different socio-economic categories, according to Mintel.
CONACADO cocoa cooperative: 'This could destroy businesses like ours'
The European Union’s proposed organic regulation will break up organic, Fairtrade, and small-scale farmers’ cooperatives, meaning they will struggle to survive in the global market, says Fairtrade International.
Cell Farm Food Tech is developing stem cell lines to provide cultured meat companies with a high-quality starter material from “champion” Argentine Hereford and Angus beef.
Sales of sugary drinks in Chile have plunged by almost one quarter (23.7%) after its raft of obesity-reducing strategies came into effect, according to a recent observational study.
Operating in both Silicon Valley and Argentina, Michroma uses CRISPR-engineered filamentous fungi to create novel, natural food colors, and is already attracting interest from multinational food manufacturers.
Food industry groups have criticized Mexico's newly approved nutrition label regulation, warning that the US, EU and Switzerland have voiced objections before the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Over one-fifth (21.3%) of fish sold in markets in Buenos Aires province is not the species labeled on-pack, according to a recent study, prompting calls for stricter regulations nationwide.
All pork samples tested showed "noticeable differences" in the nutrition information declared on-pack and the actual nutrient content, according to a Chilean survey.
Mexican food manufacturer Kua Foods, which has a mixed portfolio ranging from healthy smoothie mixes to candy, is following Mexico's nutrition label developments carefully. "We’re not worried, just waiting to see," says its business manager....
Sodium intake in Peru may be more than double WHO recommended limits and campaigns to reduce this should focus on mothers - the primary decision-makers for food purchases and meal planning, according to recent research.
Leading organic brand Korin is supplying GMO-free chicken to Carrefour Brazil, which will help it bring healthy, certified sustainable meat to a large number of people, its managing director says.
As Mexico becomes the latest country in Latin America to set national plastic-reduction goals, increasing numbers of Latinos are looking for plastic-free packaging options, according to market analysts. But how feasible is going plastic-free?
Most nixtamalized corn products in Mexico are below limits for the carcinogenic aflatoxin, AFB1, but the prevalence of corn in the daily diet means the contaminant is still cause for concern, say researchers.
The vast majority (92%) of fruit and vegetables sold in Brazil are within national safe levels for pesticide contamination, according to a four-year government survey.
Alimentus Consultoria is an open-access archive of Brazilian food legislation that can help manufacturers navigate the country’s complex and often over-lapping regulatory landscape, says one expert.
Brazilian food regulatory agency ANVISA has announced a 2% limit on industrial trans fats in all food and drink products and total ban on partially hydrogenated oils by 2023.
Many Latin Americans see Western brands as aspirational and the region offers big opportunities - but a tailored export strategy is key to success, says one US-LATAM distributor.
A mega-merger between International Flavors & Fragrances Inc (IFF) and DuPont nutrition & biosciences unit will create a new industry giant worth more than $45 billion (€40.4 billion), say those involved in the deal.
Fewer sugary breakfast cereals are using child-targeted marketing tactics since Chile’s strict food regulation, while healthier cereals are adding fun characters to their products, according to recent research.
Bonsucro is a global multi-stakeholder organization that aims to promote sustainable sugarcane production, processing and trade through voluntary certification.
Nestlé Chile has made its Batido yogurt pots more easily recyclable, inching towards its commitment that 100% of its packaging will be recyclable or reusable by 2020.
Mexican Federal Consumer Office Profeco has named and shamed some table-top stevia sweetener brands for containing sugar, some of which were undeclared.
Voluntary food safety certification in Latin America was once for export only– but it is increasingly in demand for domestic markets, according to BRCGS. “We keep the bar of certification high but achievable,” says its Americas director.
Tate & Lyle has opened an application center in Sao Paolo - one of its largest in the world - to serve all Latin American countries as it enjoys double-digit growth in the region.
Peruvian biotech analytical firm BioAl has developed a kit that allows on-the-spot identification of fish species, clamping down on fish fraud and species substitution.
Central American countries are working together to crack down on companies including plant-based brands and dairy substitutes using dairy terms such as milk and cream.
Brazilian dairy company Betânia's recently launched ambient drinking yogurt allows it to by-pass costly cold chain distribution and is more convenient for consumers, it says.
The Mercosur parliament will study a draft bill proposing harmonized front-of-pack nutrition labeling and other measures to halt rising obesity rates in the bloc.
Brazilians perceive certain food processing techniques, such as pasteurization and HPP, negatively while fresh and cold-pressed juices are seen as healthy and natural, according to recent research.
Brazil has authorized more than one thousand pesticides in the past three years - a major health risk leading one politician to propose legislation for a front-of-pack pesticide label.
The organic food and beverage market in Brazil is growing but not without its growing pains, including ingredient supply chain constraints to consumer distrust over large multinational companies launching organic products in the region, notes Euromonitor...
Dietary sodium intake has become a public health priority in Costa Rica and can been linked back to the prevalence of high sodium content in many packaged food categories, wrote researchers in a recent study which analyzed the sodium content across a...
Argentina is a powerhouse producer of genetically modified (GM) crops - but there is a potential market for non-GM foods with some consumers willing to pay a 50% premium, according to recent research.
The United Nations has awarded Peru’s Ministry of Health for its “outstanding contribution” to preventing non-communicable diseases through its mandatory nutrition warning label.
Brazil's proposed warning nutrient label will not encourage manufacturers to make their products healthier, ABIA’s president has said - but ingredient suppliers are gearing up for the reformulation opportunity.
