NEW FRONT-END NUTRITION LABELLING GOES INTO EFFECT IN MEXICO

On 27 March 2020, the Diario Oficial de la Federación, the official government gazette, published its modifications to NOM-051-SCFI/ SSA1-2010 of the General Specifications for Labeling of Prepackaged Foods and Non-Alcoholic Beverages, originally published on 5 April 2010. These include more “aggressive” front labeling in terms of mandatory nutritional information for all products marketed in Mexico, whether they are produced in Mexico or not. The labeling will allow consumers to obtain quick and easy information to help them make informed decisions about their intake of food components, identifying products with seals indicating “Excess Calories,” “Excess Sodium,” “Excess Saturated Fat,” “Excess Trans Fat,” “and “Excess Sugar.” In addition, in the case of foods that so contain the additives, they are to be marked “Contains Caffeine – To Be Avoided by Children” or “Contains Sweeteners – Not Recommended for Children.” In response to the high rates of obesity and chronic-degenerative diseases in Mexico, the federal government has implemented modifications in the way it communicates the nutritional content of packaged foods and beverages.

The idea of the amendment, apart from providing consumers with clear and direct information, is to encourage the food industry to modify the makeup of their products and so to avoid the use of the stamps on them. The amendment also presents an implementation plan in three phases, intended to tighten labelling requirements by the year 2025, when the quantity of the abovementioned nutrients will have to be even lower to avoid the application of the stamps.

A model generated by Mexican researchers predicted that labeling could reduce consumption by up to 36.8 kcal per day, translating into a 4.98% decrease in the prevalence of obesity among adults under the age of sixty. This strategy is estimated to reduce 1.3 million cases of obesity and save $1.8 billion in costs associated with the condition.

Taken from NOM-051-SCFI/SSA1-2010

Sources: MODIFICATION to the Official Mexican Standard NOM-051-SCFI/ SSA1-2010, General Specifications for the Labeling of Prepackaged Foods and Non-Alcoholic Beverages Commercial and health information, published on April 5, 2010. Official Gazette of the Federation, 2020.