The labeling of food and non-alcoholic beverages must clearly and adequately communicate nutritional information and encourage healthy decisions among consumers.
Academics and researchers at the Department of Research and Postgraduate in Food (DIPA) at the University of Sonora (Unison), María Esther Orozco García and Norma Violeta Parra Vergara, said that it is about promoting healthy consumption habits.
That way, they noted, you can know the amount of fats, sugars and sodium to raise awareness in your intake.
In addressing the topic “Frontal labeling of prepackaged foods and alcoholic beverages”, they warned that this strategy seeks to help decide between one food and another or to make comparisons between them.
“Frontal labeling on food and beverages is recognized as a cost-effective public strategy to improve nutrition information for the population and thus their health status,” they said.
They said that labeling is the way in which food and beverage producers and sellers provide correct information according to the standard established by the health authority, so that the consumer has purchase options.
They recommended that the consumer read the labels of the products and in case of not understanding, be consulted on the content of the product, “because, even, it is not strange that there are industrial tricks of the sellers”.
DIPA academics reported that as part of the national strategy for the prevention and control of overweight, obesity and diabetes, the Ministry of Health stressed the importance of the entry into force of new labeling in food and non-alcoholic beverages.
They recalled that this strategy was launched in July 2015 and that the companies had a period of one year for their products to submit the new labeling, but so far it has only been made at ten percent.
The nutritional information presented in the back with the calorie, sugar and fat values of a portion, in the new labeling is visible on the front and includes information on fats, saturated fats, sugars, sodium and energy content of a container.
It is about promoting healthy consumption habits, knowing the amount of fats, sugars and sodium to create awareness in their intake, in addition to boosting physical activity and, thus, the decrease of cases of overweight, obesity and diabetes, abounded.
NTX / RAF / CRA / VGT
