The Chamber of Deputies approved with modifications the project that implements the frontal labeling of food, with warnings about the nutritional composition. It was arranged to remove the word calories.
After the half sanction in Senators, the Lower House treated and modified the project that establishes the implementation of frontal warning labeling according to its nutritional composition.
The legislation covers all foods processed and packaged in the absence of the consumer and proposes to protect the health and rights of the population, with visible and easy-to-understand data.
The changes implemented yesterday have the word calories removed from articles 1,3,6 and 8, because they are not nutrients per se, but energy from nutrients, according to the recommendations issued by the Economic and Financial Affairs commissions and the Industry, Commerce and Tourism commissions.
The argument is that the need for calories varies according to age, sex or physical activity, therefore, they cannot be considered as parameters to alert about certain foods, since what for some is many, for others it is little.
“Instead of calories, it is proposed that the nutrient declaration be made up of sugars, saturated fats and sodium”, commented the deputy Celeste Amarilla, head of Economic Affairs.
With this modification, the products will have the legends printed “High in sugars”, “high in saturated fats” and “high in sodium”.
After discussion and approval, the document returns to the Senate, where the modifications will be discussed.
