NUTRITION

Labeling.  At the 42nd Meeting of Health Ministers of the Mercosur, held on June 15th in Asunción, Paraguay, the countries of the bloc advanced on agreements to promote a regional strategy on food safety and with the front labeling of foods with excessive fat, sodium and sugars. The pro-tempore presidency was passed to Uruguay, who will host the next meeting of ministers in the second semester of 2018. There the Health Ministers of the Mercosur will continue working on these issues and will study policies to reduce the consumption of these foods.

The ministers indicated that the creation of a Mercosur´s strategy of Food and Nutrition Security will be a priority and, following the strategies promoted by PAHO / WHO, it will seek to promote the availability of safe and healthy food through the application of nutrition programs and food security.

They will also seek to install the front labeling of foods with excessive content of fat, sodium and sugars to alert consumers of the nutritional value of the products marketed in the region. They propose to fight against noncommunicable diseases associated with poor diet such as obesity, diabetes and hypertension.

The Meeting of Health Ministers gathered the Minister of Paraguay Carlos Morínigo, the Vice Minister of Argentina Luis Giménez, the Minister of Brazil Gilberto Occhi, the Minister of Uruguay Jorge Basso and Alfredo Bravo as representative for the Ministry of Health of Chile.

Next steps

At the next meeting of Mercosur Health ministers, which still has no official date foreseen, but it will be before the end of the year in Montevideo (Uruguay). There the results of these agreements will be evaluated and new lines of action will be agreed.