Food and drink packaging from large food chains will appear after August 20 in supermarkets with labels in which the consumer will be warned about the content in excess sugars, total fat, saturated fat, calories and sodium in accordance with Law 27,642 published in the Official Gazette in November last year, reported the Ministry of Health.
For its part, small or medium-sized companies have a longer period of time to incorporate the labelingwhich lasts until February 20, 2023.
The portfolio reported that it approved 35% of requests for extensions in the implementation of these warning stamps, out of a total of 2,658 requests
While“of the total registrations with health authorization, only 3.13% were extended and correspond mostly to large companies and SMEs“.
Extension requests can be made in cases where “there is a limitation with justifiable reasons in compliance with the implementation schedule for adaptation to the declaration of the front labeling,” said the portfolio.
The main items that were presented are sweets, jams, jellies, candies and preserves (21.62%); baked goods and cookies (15%); sausages and meat preserves (14.45%); dairy (11.27%); non-alcoholic beverages (10.63%); processed fruits and vegetables (7.39%).
Also cereals and pasta (6.55%); sauces and dressings (5.19%); desserts and powders for preparations (2.96%); snacks (2.16%); ice cream (1.09%); soups and broths (1.02%); coffee and tea (0.67%).
The National Administration of Drugs Food and Technology (Anmat), implemented the Nutritional Seals and Warnings Declaration System that establishes the steps, procedures, deadlines and specifications regarding the affidavit, extension requests and the request for special cases.
With this tool, together with the Federal Information System for Food Control Management (Sifega), it is possible to prepare a “stamp calculator”an instrument of public and open access that allows calculations to be made that indicate which are the products whose critical nutrients are equal to or greater than the limits defined in the law.
Added to these tools is the “Public Sworn Declaration Search Engine” which has consolidated information for online consultation of food products with warning stamps and precautionary legends.
The “Management of the Sworn Declaration of the Nutritional Seals and Warnings System” is also available, an updated tool with the content of critical nutrients and calories and the presence of sweeteners and/or caffeine in foods and non-alcoholic beverages covered by the law.
In addition, the ANMAT website publishes the “Seals and Warnings System” where a wide variety of resources are available for the implementation of frontal nutritional labeling.
