The Mexican Ministry of Health recently published a decree amending its General Health Law (GHL) to incorporate new provisions regarding nutritional content warning labels on foods and nonalcoholic beverages. 

Food and beverage companies, including importers, will now be required to place warning labels on the front of their products in the event such products exceed the maximum limits of energy content, added sugars, saturated fats, sodium and other critical nutrients and ingredients. 

The draft regulations, published on Oct. 11, require the front warning label for each critical nutrient or ingredient to be a black octagon with white text stating that the product contains “Excess [name of ingredient].” Companies who may be affected have until Dec. 10, 2019, to file comments with the applicable authorities.  

Under the amended GHL, food and non-alcoholic beverage labels must include nutritional information that is easy to understand, truthful, direct, simple and visible.

Such labeling must be done separately and independently from the product’s ingredients list and nutritional information. The warning labels must note whether the product exceeds the limit of energy content, added sugars, saturated fats, sodium and other critical nutrients and ingredients. Under the draft regulations, the labels are also required to include the amount of caffeine, sweetener, and any substitute ingredients. 

With this decree, Mexico joins Chile, Uruguay and Peru in requiring such labeling measures in an attempt to help consumers to make more informed decisions when it comes to their food and beverage consumption.