New proposed Mexican Standard to regulate the in-store advertising of “unhealthy” products.
The Mexican Government is preparing a new standard to regulate the distribution and advertising of food and beverages in supermarkets, according to a new report by the US Department of Agriculture. This new standard, which comes on top of the recent reform on front-of-package labeling, is intended to separate labeled (“relatively unhealthy”) goods from unlabeled (“healthier”) goods on supermarket shelves, and thus to encourage consumers to buy healthier products.
Since October 2020 the new Mexican Official Standard (NOM) 051 regulates labeling on domestic and imported prepackaged & processed foods and non-alcoholic beverages being sold in Mexico through mandatory black warning stamps on the front label of products that exceed certain maximum levels of calories, sodium, sugars, saturated and trans fats, or contain sweeteners. Since its entry into force, the NOM has gone through various stages of implementation. In the current stage, it also prohibits the presence and use of fictional characters, athletes or celebrities on the packages of food and non-alcoholic beverages that contain warning stamps in an effort to discourage their sales.
According to a new report by the US Department of Agriculture, a new standard has now been proposed by the Ministries of Health and Economy that will go even further, as it would regulate the distribution and advertising of food and beverages in supermarkets and retail stores. It contemplates compelling stores to separate the location of products with warning stamps from those that do not have them. In addition, it would prohibit the in-store advertisement or use of characters or images to promote the sale of such products.
It should be noted that this NOM is still a draft project and will be open for assessment and consultation by the public and business groups. Just like the previous reforms regarding front-of-package labeling, it is expected, once published, to generate heated discussion between business groups and public health advocates.