Nutrition Labels on Packaged Foods: Insights from LATAM’s Experience

The United States faces an escalating epidemic of preventable diet-related chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. To combat this, the FDA supports healthier eating patterns by providing consumers with accessible information to make informed food choices.

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FDA’s Proposed Front-of-Package (FOP) Labels

The FDA has proposed requiring front-of-package (FOP) nutrition labels on most packaged foods to further this mission. These labels aim to provide at-a-glance information that helps consumers quickly identify how foods fit into a healthy diet.

The proposed FOP label, called the Nutrition Info box, would complement the existing Nutrition Factsby simplifying key nutritional details. It would categorize saturated fat, sodium, and added sugar content as “Low,” “Medium,” or “High,” offering consumers an easily understandable interpretation of the numerical data on the back of the package.

Lessons from Latin America (LATAM)

Front-of-package labels are not a new concept. Several Latin American countries have implemented similar measures over the past decade:

• Chile (2016): The pioneer of FOP labeling.
• Peru (2019), Mexico and Uruguay (2020), Venezuela (2021), Argentina and Brazil (2022), and Colombia (2023) followed suit.

Chile’s implementation was backed by research conducted by the Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology (INTA), the University of Chile, the University Diego Portales, and the University of North Carolina.

The study revealed a significant impact: purchases of sugary drinks dropped by 25%, while cereal purchases decreased by 9%.

Impact on Brand Owners

The FOP labeling laws significantly influenced brand owners, creating both challenges and opportunities:

1. Packaging Transition and Compliance:
   Brand owners needed transition time to phase out old packaging that lacked labels. Some governments allowed the use of temporary stickers to comply with the regulations.
2. Product Redesign:
   Many brand owners reformulated their products to avoid receiving labels like “Excess of Sugar” or “Excess of Saturated Fat.” This led to healthier products entering the market. However, in some cases, inaccuracies arose. For instance, medical professionals in some countries highlighted issues with the “Excess of Sodium” label applied to low-calorie products, which led to consumer confusion. A notable example was Djones mustard, which bore an inappropriate sodium warning.
3. Packaging Manipulation:
   Some brands tried to circumvent the law by placing warning seals on only one side of the packaging. This allowed them to display products on shelves with the warning seals hidden, misleading consumers. Governments addressed this by modifying the regulations to mandate seals on both sides of the packaging.
4. Packaging Redesign: Mexico took this initiative even further with the implementation of NOM-051, which prohibits persuasive elements like animated characters on front packaging to discourage children from selecting those products.

The Growing Challenge in the U.S.

The FDA’s proposed front-of-package labeling can success and apply the lessons learned from LATAM countries. While the implementation may bring challenges for brand owners, such as compliance and product reformulation, the long-term benefits of healthier consumer choices and reduced diet-related chronic diseases could be transformative. By leveraging international insights, the U.S. can adopt an effective and consumer-friendly approach to improving public health.