The emergence of nutrition warning labels in Latin America

Abstract

Abstract Over the last decade, Latin American countries have become leaders in the emerging policy field of front-of-pack nutrition labelling (FOPNL). Recommended by public health experts and the World Health Organization, FOPNL regulations seek to improve the healthiness of population diets and thereby reduce the incidence of overweight and obesity and associated non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes, cancer, and heart diseases. In 2011, Chile passed the world's first comprehensive nutrition labelling law and now prohibits school sales and daytime advertisement of any product labeled “high in” sugar, salt, saturated fats, or calories. Ecuador introduced a mandatory traffic-light labelling scheme in 2014, while Peru, Uruguay, and Mexico introduced Chile-style warning labels since 2018. Several other Latin American countries, including Argentina and Brazil, are currently debating the introduction of mandatory front-of-pack warning labels. In contrast, most countries in the Global North have so far failed to introduce mandatory FOPNL and the European Union even banned its member states from doing so in 2011. This presentation will trace and explain this emergence of FOPNL in Latin America.