Tag Archive for: Healthy nutrition

From Fundeps, SANAR, FIC Argentina, Fagran and Argentine Consumers we sent a proposal to the National Food Commission (CONAL) for Argentina to move towards a more restrictive regulation of trans fats and that prohibits the use of partially hydrogenated oils.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”

The different organizations proposed to CONAL to modify article 155 tris of the Argentine Food Code (CAA). Said article currently establishes that:

the content of industrially produced trans fatty acids in food must not exceed: 2% of total fats in vegetable oils and margarines intended for direct consumption and 5% of total fats in other foods, including those that They are used as ingredients and raw materials.

In this sense, we propose that a maximum limit of the content of trans fatty acids (TFA) of industrial production of 2% with respect to total fats in all products be established. Including those that are used as ingredients and / or raw materials, and also prohibit the use of partially hydrogenated oil.

The proposal arises given that the consumption of trans fats is dangerous for health, since it increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, sudden cardiac death and diabetes mellitus, among other diseases. In other words, the available scientific evidence establishes that these fats are not essential, they are not required for any biological function in the body and they do not have any health benefits.

It is essential to improve regulation, since despite the recent modifications incorporated in article 155 tris of the CAA where it was clarified that the restriction and maximum limits of trans fats include raw materials and ingredients, it continues to be insufficient.

In addition, although the State has worked since 2010 to reduce the presence of trans fatty acids in the supply chain, there is currently an outdated approach to the limits proposed by international expert organizations in the field. An example is the WHO REPLACE (2018) package of measures that aims to eliminate TFA from the food supply and the “Action Plan to eliminate trans-fatty acids from industrial production 2020-2025”, launched in 2020, which seeks to facilitate the implementation of policies and measures at the national level. In both documents, it is recommended to adopt regulatory frameworks to eliminate or reduce the content of TFA to a maximum of 2% of the total fat content in all food products. If this recommendation is coupled with a ban on partially hydrogenated oils (APH), it may have an added effect by allowing enforcement against other sources of trans fatty acids, such as poor quality refined oils.

About trans fats:

Industrial trans fatty acids, known as “trans fats,” are present in a large number of processed foods such as baked goods, baked goods, cookies, and snack foods. These fats are made by the food industry through a process called “hydrogenation”, which transforms liquid vegetable oils into semi-solid fats.

A large body of evidence has shown that increased consumption of trans fats has serious health consequences. According to WHO studies, they are an important factor in the development of cardiovascular diseases and non-communicable diseases worldwide, causing an estimated half a million deaths each year.

More information:

Contact:

Maga Merlo Vijarra, magamerlov@fundeps.org 

Within the Americas region, Argentina was a pioneer in the regulation of trans fats. However, today there is an outdated with respect to the recommendations of international expert organizations. There is evidence of a need for improvement in order to protect the health of the population.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”

Trans fatty acids (TFA), or more commonly known as trans fats, can have a natural or artificial / industrial origin. Those of industrial origin are produced artificially by the food industry, through a process that receives the name of hydrogenation. That is, they are naturally liquid vegetable oils that turn into semisolid fats.

Because trans fats are an extremely useful product for the food industry, their use and consumption is much more frequent than you might imagine. This is due to its great stability against heat in frying, its great malleability for use in bakery and pastry products, due to the increased useful life of the products in which it is applied and due to its low cost. In addition, they give the final product a palatability that is difficult to achieve with any other fat source, thus increasing the desire for the consumption of these preparations.

However, the consumption of trans fats has serious consequences for health and no beneficial effect is recognized. According to WHO studies, they are an important factor in the generation of cardiovascular diseases and non-communicable chronic diseases. It is this context that determines the need and importance for States to develop and implement public policies aimed at eliminating the presence of TFA in the food supply, in order to guarantee the right to health and adequate food of their population.

Brief historical tour How do we get to the current regulations?

In our country, the regulatory framework for trans fats present in food products is established by the Argentine Food Code (CAA). Since 2008, after numerous international efforts aimed at demonstrating the relationship between the consumption of trans fatty acids (TFA) with severe health conditions and after demonstrating that the elimination of trans fats from food is feasible for the industry food, the World Health Organization (WHO) convened the formation of a working group that – in line with its purpose – received the name of “The Americas Free of Trans Fats.”

The objective of this working group was to determine procedures to gradually eliminate the presence of TFA from products, among which were regulatory measures, voluntary actions and the feasibility of recommending less harmful alternative fats. This is how the Declaration of Rio de Janeiro took place in 2008, which established a series of recommendations to be followed by the subscribing countries.

In this context, Argentina in 2010, established in the Food Code Art. 155 tris by which it was provided that the content of TFA from industrial production in edible designs should not be greater than 2% of the total fat in vegetable oils and margarines destined for direct consumption and 5% of the total fats in the rest of the products, excluding from these limits fats from ruminants and dairy products.

In this way, Argentina became one of the pioneer countries in the region by regulating the content of trans fats present in food, as well as making efforts to incorporate the parameters set by the WHO.

However, little by little the experience revealed the deficiencies in the formulation of these regulations. It gave rise to various interpretations that made the companies not strictly conform to the standards set and that the enforcement authority itself, ANMAT, adopted various criteria when demanding compliance. It was clear from the Article that the restriction of 2% of trans fats in vegetable oils and margarines, reached only those destined for direct consumption and not necessarily to margarines and oils used as raw material by the food industry, including the production of bakeries. , restaurants, hotels, fast food outlets, etc. For this reason, fats and oils with high concentrations of TFA were being sold and used as raw materials, without respecting the limits imposed.

Faced with this situation, in 2018, the National Food Commission (CONAL), proposed a modification to the regulation of trans fats that culminated in the modification of art. 155 tris of the CAA and the one that was published in the Official Gazette, just on January 21 of this year. The regulation in question was drafted as follows:

“The content of industrially produced trans fatty acids in food should not be greater than: 2% of the total fats in vegetable oils and margarines destined for direct consumption and 5% of the total of fats in the rest of the foods, including those that are used as ingredients and raw materials. These limits do not apply to fats from ruminants, including milk fat ”.

Disadvantages of current regulation

Despite recent modifications, the wording of the regulations continues to be deficient. Although one of its main motivations had been to include raw materials within the 2% limit, the truth is that far from providing clarity, it continues to give rise to different interpretations that guarantee that raw materials have the same limit as the rest of the food (5%) and not the maximum set for a margarine and oil for direct sale that would be its equivalent in domestic use (2%).

At the same time, in Argentina there are also certain shortcomings with regard to the monitoring and surveillance of products at the outlet. This situation is partly due to the fact that the inscription of edible products is merely declarative. Companies are not required to submit a laboratory analysis that confirms that what they declare is consistent with what the product actually contains. The obligation formally only applies to gluten-free foods and to the use of claims or complementary nutritional information on the labeling.

On the other hand, there is no established monitoring or surveillance plan that systematically analyzes chemically and nutritionally the content of the products, whether they are used as raw materials or are intended for direct consumption. The control carried out by the health authorities is only limited to verifying that the label complies with the established requirements.

Finally, it is important to note that although the Argentine State has been working since 2010 to reduce the presence of TFAs in the supply chain, the regulations suggest that, currently, there is an outdated status regarding the limits proposed by the organizations. international experts in the field. The WHO, after the launch of the REPLACE package of measures (2018) aimed at eliminating TFA from the food supply, in 2020 issued the so-called Action Plan to eliminate trans-fatty acids from industrial production 2020-2025, in order to to facilitate the implementation of policies and measures at the national level.

In both documents, the adoption of regulatory frameworks to eliminate or reduce the content of TFA to a maximum of 2% of the total fat content in all food products is highlighted as the first strategic action. In this sense, the States are called upon to make their efforts so that these policies can be approved and come into force no later than the end of 2023. Considering this step as the fundamental and the minimum floor that all Member States must ensure, regardless of your resource capacity.

Comparative experience shows that several high-income countries have practically eliminated trans fats from industrial production, either by imposing legal limits on the amount of these fats present in food, through the prohibition of partially hydrogenated oils. (main source of TFA from industrial production) or through a combination of these two strategies Research is conclusive in revealing that reducing or eliminating TFA from the food supply is both politically and technically feasible and that it is a relatively simple measure of low-cost, one-time, and significant long-term health benefits, especially in addressing and preventing Chronic Noncommunicable Diseases.

Along these lines, although the elimination of TFA is a strategy that would reduce the risk of these diseases for all people, regardless of their level of education or wealth, research shows that these measures have a greater impact on people. who habitually consume low-cost processed products and in those who face the greatest obstacles in accessing medicines and quality health care. For this reason, the WHO has expressly stated that, in order for the benefits to be distributed equitably throughout the world, it is necessary that measures be implemented in low- and middle-income countries, where controls on the use of trans fats of origin are often less stringent.

We urge the Argentine State to improve its current policies around the maximum concentration of TFA allowed in food products. The benefits in the use of this type of fats are only for the food industry that allows them to create highly addictive edibles at a very low cost. Research is categorical in stating that trans fats are extremely harmful to human health and are responsible for half a million deaths a year in the world. However, it has also been shown that the establishment of national limits through regulations is a feasible and effective measure that helps to improve people’s quality of life.

The right to health, adequate food, as well as the right to information within the framework of consumer relations, are fundamental rights that enjoy hierarchy and constitutional protection. Ensuring that food systems are safe, healthy and transparent for those who consume is the duty of the State and forms the basis for effective interventions in food policy and public health.

More information

Contact

Maga Merlo Vijarra, magamerlov@fundeps.org

The Deliberative Council of Córdoba would approve this Thursday a project that prohibits the display of ultra-processed products online from supermarket, hypermarkets and drug stores.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”

The initiative, presented by Juan Pablo Quinteros – neighborhood meeting – and Nicolás Piloni – officialism – establishes the incorporation of a sanction to who “exhibits merchandise that are classified by the competent municipal authority as” ultra-processed products “, in supermarkets, hypermarkets and pharmacies with long hours of operation and self-service format, within a radius of 3 (three) meters from the cash register or any other collection area located for this purpose.

Some years ago, excess malnutrition was described as a problem in developed countries. Today this scenario has radically changed and the epidemic has spread at alarming speed in low- and middle-income countries.

The underlying causes of overnutrition, diseases related to excessive food intake, and nutritional imbalance are complex and multidimensional. Food is the product of a set of social, economic and cultural factors that are influenced by the availability, cost and variety of food, along with custom, beliefs and information accessed on eating habits, among others. In this framework, advertising plays a central role, influencing the preferences and eating habits of the population. There is clear evidence about the influence of unhealthy food advertising on the types of foods that children prefer, order and consume. In general, these are ultra-processed products with a high content of sugar, fat or salt.

When we refer to advertising, not only traditional forms, mass media and social networks are included; but also, and very especially in the case of food, the advertising that appears on the packaging, package or container of the product, since it is also conceived with the intention of awakening in the future acquirer the desire to access the good. It is there where the display of the product takes on special relevance.

The alarming figures on excess malnutrition highlight the need for states to adopt measures to avoid excessive and unbalanced food consumption. The design and implementation of public policies that favor the creation of healthy environments is essential. The Argentine State, according to its constitutional precepts and international human rights treaties, is in charge of three types of obligations, these are: to respect, protect and guarantee the right to health and the right to adequate food. In this specific issue, the obligation to protect is the most relevant insofar as it requires active action by the State to regulate the conduct of third parties that, through their activity, may affect the fundamental rights of the population.

In this sense, the World Health Organization (WHO) and other international organizations have published in recent years, numerous documents that, based on scientific evidence free of conflict of interest, establish a set of measures to regulate the environments and products, in order to promote healthy habits and thus stop the growth of excess malnutrition. Among the measures are: the frontal labeling of warnings, fiscal measures, the promotion of a healthy school environment and the restriction of advertising, including the display of products as part of it.

That is why we urge this Deliberative Council to take a step forward in restricting the display of ultra-processed products in the vicinity of checkout counters in supermarkets, hypermarkets and pharmacies. Through a measure such as this, the State will be protecting the rights of consumers, and especially, ensuring the health of boys and girls.

Image source: @nutricionistasderionegro

Contact

  • Maga Merlo Vijarra, magamerlov@fundeps.org
  • Agustina Mozzoni, agustinamozzoni@fundeps.org

On October 29, 2020, the Chamber of Senators gave a half sanction to the bill for the Promotion of Healthy Eating, with 64 positive votes and 3 negative. From then on, the Chamber of Deputies had the duty to promote the corresponding legislative treatment until it was approved. However, the procedure to date has undergone a series of back and forth that jeopardizes its approval.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”

After intense complaints from civil society organizations for the lack of initiative from the Chamber of Deputies, an information meeting was held within the framework of the special sessions on February 23 of this year. There, referents from the industry sector, as well as representatives of consumer and health organizations, shared information and presented their position on the various regulations and measures that make up the regulations in question. However, the deadlines were not sufficient for deputies to manage to implement it. The parliamentary debate on the bill should have been postponed.

At the same time, almost surprisingly, the National Executive Power broke into the ambit of the National Food Commission (CONAL) and Mercosur with the presentation of another proposal regarding the frontal nutritional labeling of foods. This proposal has the particularity of being friendlier and more flexible with the food industry inasmuch as it not only modifies the nutrient profile system (that is, the values ​​from which it is possible to consider an edible high in sugars, sodium, fat or calories), but also excludes the entire set of other measures that are also part of the current bill. These include regulations for school environments and issues related to advertising.

Faced with this scenario, the demands of civil society were once again necessary for the Chamber of Deputies to resume and promote the treatment of the bill for the Promotion of Healthy Eating. Thus, on April 6 and already within the framework of its ordinary sessions, the fourth information session took place. On this occasion, Fundeps, together with other organizations, highlighted the strengths that the current bill presents in the field of health protection, the need to maintain its parliamentary treatment and the urgency in which the bill is approved without modifications.

Why is it important that it be through the National Congress and not through CONAL?

The proposal promoted by the National Executive Power in CONAL and Mercosur implies a relaxation of the protection standards in health matters. In this sense, it presents important differences with the bill.

One of them is the one concerning the graphic system. The bill establishes that non-alcoholic packaged foods and beverages must include a warning stamp with the legend “excess in” on the main face of the packaging. However, the resolution presented by the Executive proposes its modification to “stop in”. This is not minor or coincidental, if one takes into account that the available scientific evidence indicates that the expression “high in” does not generate the alert that is expected in consumers, and consequently the effectiveness of the policy may be diminished. If an edible design contains excessive amounts of critical ingredients, this circumstance should be expressed as clearly and simply as possible.

A second difference is given by the nutrient profile adopted. This would no longer be that of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), but another much more lax one that would make products reached by warning seals according to the PAHO nutrient profile, be offered in the market as free of black octagons . The best scientific evidence available to date and, above all, free of conflicts of interest, shows that the OPS profile allows identifying the products that, beyond the size of the portion considered, tend to unbalance the diets of the people and, consequently, negatively impact their health.

A third difference is that the Executive’s presentation, by limiting itself only to food labeling, leaves key points of the bill unregulated, such as school environments, issues concerning advertising, claims regulations, and seals of endorsement, etc. The bill that is under treatment in the Chamber of Deputies is characterized by being a comprehensive regulation that seeks to penetrate much deeper, as it would allow us to improve our environments, making them healthier and safer spaces. This takes on greater relevance if one seeks to protect the well-being and health of children and adolescents, who, since they are in a stage of training and development, require special protection from the State.

Finally, it remains to add that if the Executive’s proposal continues its course until it is approved by CONAL or Mercosur, the voice of the society represented in the National Congress would be disregarded. This body, established as the highest bastion of popular will, has a constitutional duty to legislate and promote measures that guarantee the full enjoyment and exercise of the rights recognized by the Constitution and international human rights treaties. Likewise, it should be noted that the legislative body is the one that allows more participatory work and greater control by citizens. Unlike what happens in CONAL, whose mode of operation is more hermetic, and where citizens have greater difficulties in accessing what is deliberated and resolved there.

It must be said that the current bill is not only based on the best available scientific evidence free of conflicts of interest, but has also been the result of long processes of discussion and consensus between different political parties. These circumstances allow this type of policy to be conceived as a State policy, giving it more strength, greater legitimacy and more possibilities that it can be sustained over time.

It took many years to accomplish this very important step. Today, the conditions are in place for Argentina to have the best law. The high prevalence of chronic non-communicable diseases, which currently affects the population, requires a policy that more comprehensively addresses public health problems.

In this sense, the draft Law for the Promotion of Healthy Eating is a necessary measure to protect the constitutional rights to health, adequate food and the rights of consumers. That is why, we ask our deputies to unite their wills so that the project passes quickly to an opinion and that it finally becomes a law without modifications.

Author

Maga Merlo Vijarra

Contact

Agustina Mozzoni, agustinamozzoni@fundeps.org

Through a regulatory decree, Uruguay modified the criteria established for the application of warning stamps on food products. With the new resolution, the limits to critical nutrients were relaxed and companies will be able to sell their products with high levels of sodium, sugar and fat, without being reached by the regulations.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”

By 2018, Uruguay became the third country in the Americas to adopt the frontal labeling system for food warnings. This public health measure, widely celebrated by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), was intended to be part of the response to malnutrition that affects 34% of Uruguayan children of school age. For its part, Decree 272/2018, within its clauses, granted companies an adaptation period of 18 months, enough time for the food industry to accommodate the political scenario in its favor. Thus, the entry into force and inspection of the measure was only set for March 1, 2020.

However, when the time came, the implementation of Decree 272 was not a priority. After many twists and turns, the government approved another decree (246/020) which not only extended the effective date of mandatory labeling to February 2021, but also established important variations to the original rule.

In Uruguay, the strategies used by the industry were the same as those used in other countries where front labeling was also discussed (Peru, Chile, Mexico and currently Argentina). The dilation of times, the sponsorship of specialists for the dissemination of biased research, as well as the denial and proposal of alternatives without scientific basis, are part of their best-known tactics that seek to protect only their economic interests.

Thus, far from being the Ministry of Public Health the one that proposed and announced modifications based on scientific evidence free of conflict of interest, the one in charge of doing so was the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mining. Hence, it is not surprising to observe that the changes made by the government have revolved around the PAHO nutrient profile system, giving rise to a more flexible and friendly regulation with the food industry, and in evident damage to public health .

In this way, food companies in Uruguay today have the possibility of selling as stamp-free products those that contain 20% more sodium (from 400 to 500mg), 30% more sugars (from 10 to 13g) , 45% more saturated fat (9 to 13g) and 50% more total fat (4 to 6g), in portions of 100 grams or 100 milliliters.

For this reason, according to a statement from the Civil Society Alliance for the control of Non-Communicable Diseases, “the main products benefiting from this flexibility will be those with excess sugars and fats, in particular dairy products and desserts. , which are often advertised as healthy and with which the Food Industry carries out an aggressive marketing strategy, aimed at boys and girls. This (vulnerable) population will be the main recipient of these changes, given that many of these products will no longer have the label despite continuing to be just as harmful to their health ”.

In a critical context of the increase in Noncommunicable Diseases, the complicity of the Uruguayan government with the interests of the industry is not understood. According to PAHO statistics, Uruguay is among the Latin American countries that registered the highest increase in the consumption of ultra-processed products between 2000 and 2013, translating into an increase of 146%.

Given that the consumption of these products with excesses, are the main contributors to the generation of these diseases, it becomes necessary the existence and application of public policies that effectively protect the right to health of the population, especially those groups in a situation vulnerability, as are children and adolescents. Likewise, the importance of ensuring that public health policy-making processes are free of conflict of interest and industry interference is highlighted. Well, these must be based on the best available scientific evidence and not on the economic interests of a particular sector.

From Fundeps and SANAR, we join the claims of Civil Society Organizations that require the Uruguayan government to implement a frontal food labeling that protects and guarantees the right of access to information by consumers, as well as the right to health of Uruguayans.

From Fundeps we are addressing the senators to express the importance of their vote in favor of the Front Warning Labeling Law, which already has a favorable opinion from the Health and Industry and Commerce commissions.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.

The growth in obesity and overweight rates in our country is alarming and has been growing steadily in both boys, girls and adolescents as well as in the adult population; and advertising, lack of information and misconceptions about the nutritional value of what we consume are among the main contributing factors in the development of this epidemic.

In Argentina there is no food labeling system established by law that informs consumers in a clear, truthful and simple way if that product contains nutrients critical to their health. In this sense, scientific evidence clearly shows that frontal warning labeling is the best regulatory option to facilitate decisions that protect health. International organizations specializing in public health, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) have clearly spoken out in favor of frontal warning labeling.

Furthermore, international human rights obligations require active policies based on scientific evidence that protect the right to health and the right to food. Recently, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to health, Dainius Püras, issued a statement calling on States to address the global impact of non-communicable diseases by adopting front-of-packaging labeling policies. for food.

Regarding which cut-off points should be used to determine when a product contains an excess of any of the critical ingredients (sugar, sodium, fat, calories), the nutrient profile model of the Pan American Health Organization – defined by a an institution that is a benchmark in public health interventions – it constitutes the highest standard of protection. This system has been adopted in the laws of countries in the region, such is the case of Chile and, recently, Mexico.

Senators have the opportunity to take this policy one step further. The experiences in countries such as Chile, Peru, Uruguay and -recently- Mexico show that it is possible to advance in evidence-based measures that address the specific needs of our countries and prioritize the human right to health and food. adequate above the interests of the industry.

More information

Contact

Agustina Mozzoni, agustinamozzoni@fundeps.org

In Argentina there is no food labeling system established by law that informs consumers clearly, truthfully and simply what it is that we are consuming. Front warning labeling with black octagons provides straightforward information that allows consumers to quickly and easily identify products that contain excess amounts of critical nutrients.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.

There are different types of front labeling. Scientific evidence, free of conflicts of interest, has clearly shown that warning labeling on the front of the container is the best regulatory option to facilitate decisions that protect health. Recently, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to health, Dainius Püras, issued a statement in which he urged States not to remain passive in the face of Chronic Noncommunicable Diseases -ECNT- and to address in a proactive and comprehensive manner preventable risk factors related to CNCDs and specified in a specific public health regulatory measure, such as frontal warning labeling, characterized as an effective intervention to protect public health.

Why is it necessary that the implementation of labeling occurs through a binding law and not through self-regulation? Self-regulation and voluntary commitments, in general, have not obtained satisfactory results. Evidence has clearly shown that industry self-regulation does not work, generally self-regulatory codes include weak and therefore ineffective restriction guidelines. Furthermore, their participation is voluntary and there are no monitoring, sanctions or supervision mechanisms. In this framework, the promotion of self-regulation also functions as an obstacle for the promotion of public policies and should be avoided by governments.

For their part, conflicts of interest refer to situations in which there is a confrontation between the public interest and a private interest that could unduly influence the adoption of a policy. In this case, it is the existence of interests unrelated to public health that prevent decisions from being made or actions aimed at protecting health from being carried out. With this criterion, organizations linked to the food industry should be excluded from decision-making spaces both locally and globally. Likewise, in order to protect decision-making spaces in matters of public health, transparency must be ensured. It is essential to have information about the people and institutions involved.

The State has the duty and obligation to guarantee, protect and respect the right to health and adequate food. The experiences in countries such as Chile, Peru, Uruguay and -recently- Mexico show that it is possible to advance in evidence-based measures that address the specific needs of our countries and prioritize the human right to health and food. adequate.

More information

Front labeling of warnings: a necessary policy to protect the right to health – Fundeps

Contact

Agustina Mozzoni, agustinamozzoni@fundeps.org

The transformation of school canteens during the COVID-19 pandemic: speed in the provision and deficiencies in the nutritional quality of the food modules (Only spanish)

On January 7, 2020, the national government announced the updated list of products included in the “Care Price” program, which includes 310 articles of various consumer categories. We analyze the program especially considering the lack of concordance between the choice of food and beverages and the current degree of malnutrition in our country, led by overweight and obesity.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.

The new care price list includes more sweet cookies than whole grains. It contains only one class of legumes, numerous options of sugary and alcoholic drinks, table sugar. Only four vegetables and one type of fruit, cuts of meat with high fat content and products derived from it highly processed as medallions of industrial meats and sausages. It also offers yogurts and dairy desserts with high sugar content and highly processed industrial broths, mainly exceeded in sodium.

This program includes various products included in the basic food basket, whose structure dates from information provided by the National Survey of Household Expenditures (ENGHo) 1996/97, re-validated with the consumption pattern thrown by the same 2004/05 survey . This basket, although it reflects eating patterns of the Argentine population, reinforces the consumption of less healthy and strongly entrenched foods at family tables today.

These types of economic public policies, due to the nature of their impact, also form part of the food policies. In this regard, they should be planned and designed while integrating the standards proposed for healthy eating by human rights organizations and recognized international institutions such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

In line with these recommendations, it is necessary to encourage the consumption of whole grains and legumes, as well as fruits and vegetables, since they are the foods with the lowest consumption in our country despite their high nutritional quality. Also contribute to increase the consumption of lean fish and meats before highly processed meat products and also stimulate the consumption of drinking water instead of soda and excessively sugary juices.

The “care prices” program, as well as its previous versions, does not respect in any way the guidelines that organizations such as PAHO, WHO and FAO are recommending in order to reduce the current epidemic of overweight and obesity that leaps and bounds grows. Currently in our country, according to the Second National Survey of Nutrition and Health (2019), 67.9% of the adult population is overweight as well as 41.4% of the child population.

Likewise, these price agreements grant a preponderant role to the ultraprocessed products industry in the definition of food policies. The State, understanding the alarming panorama of excess weight in our population, must regulate based on scientific evidence and boost the consumption of quality food, while discouraging the consumption of unhealthy products.

In this way, policies must be thought of in an integral manner, even when the “Care Price” program is intended to contain the inflationary process and reduce its impact. As the doctor Luis María Delupi maintains, it is about:

“… A purely economic measure that arises from the Ministry of Economy, not that of health and that seeks to put an anchor price on most of the“ foods ”chosen by most Argentines and that are reflected in the basic family basket, seeking Resolve the emergency from the economic. But it is far from being a stimulus to the consumption of healthy and nutritious foods. ”

Concluding on the basis of all the above, it is stated that this policy promotes the consumption of foods rich in fats, sugars, sodium and refined flours; poor in vitamins, minerals and fiber and of very poor nutritional quality. It thus becomes less convenient and less accessible to consume real, quality food, without packaging, with few ingredients and nutrients. So, what can we demand from healthy habits and customs to a population whose consumption is strongly violated by an unfavorable environment when it comes to accessing and choosing healthier options?

Author

Agustina Enei

Contact

Agustina Mozzoni, agustinamozzoni@fundeps.org

Following the opportunity represented by the change of management at the municipal level, we want to express ourselves on key issues for the future of our city. Therefore, we jointly address other Cordoba organizations to the new Mayor of Córdoba, Martín Llaryora, with the aim of making recommendations regarding structural problems that cause serious damage to human rights.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.

Within the framework of the assumption of the new municipal management, there are unattended situations for years that need an urgent response. Through an open letter, we announce in ten points what these problems are and we make ourselves available to the new cabinet to work in an articulated way.

The ten points are summarized in:

  1. Environmental and health emergency in the Chacras de la Merced neighborhood
  2. Solid Urban Waste
  3. Urban Planning and Development
  4. Gender parity in the cabinet
  5. Trans labor inclusion and quota law
  6. Access to Legal Disruption of Pregnancy in Primary Care Centers
  7. Application of the Micaela law
  8. Access to public information
  9. Healthy school environments
  10. Smoke-free environments and protection of the non-smoker

These are 10 points, which are not exhaustive or exclusive of other problems, but require an urgent response because of the critical situations they represent. We hope that in the next 4 years we can articulate a joint work to continue advancing in the fulfillment of the human rights of the Cordoba community.

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Contact

Carolina Tamagnini, carotamagnini@fundeps.org

This document intends to make an analysis of the Basic Food Basket from the perspective of Human Rights, in the light of the Food Guidelines for the Argentine Population and other food standards regarding adequate food.

Canasta básica argentina – Documento Fundeps [[Spanish version]]

An analysis of the Basic Food Basket (CBA) shows that it does not conform to the Food Guidelines for the Argentine Population (GAPA) and other international standards. We demand its redesign from a human rights perspective that contemplates the standards proposed by international organizations.

Below we offer a translated version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate, but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic.

Currently, in our country, the income method or Poverty Line (LP) is used to quantify the amount of income that an individual or family group must have in order to fullfill, in a minimum and adequate way, their basic needs. To achieve the comparison of income between households and individuals, and thus classify those who are above or below the Line of Indigence (LI) (poor and non-poor), the Basic Food Basket (CBA) is built, which is the estimated value of a set of basic and essential foods, taking into account a certain household with a certain number of members.

This measurement is based on the budget that monetary income allows households to acquire the goods and services that are necessary to guarantee the quality of life and well-being. But other important factors to consider are overlooked, and in the particular case of our country, where recurrent inflation directly affects their purchasing power, the indicator ends up measuring food price variations and not poverty itself .

In addition, this way of measuring poverty does not express the value of healthy eating. On the contrary, a large proportion of food included in the CBA does not conform to the provisions of the Food Guidelines for the Argentine Population (GAPA), or other international standards; deepening an obsolete model of thinking about the food of the population to the detriment of the effective enjoyment of the human rights of the citizenry that is in a worse economic situation.

Poverty measurement, on the other hand, should include in its methodological definition preventive food standards for nutritional problems that affect our current society and are now considered an epidemic (such as overweight and obesity). Serious public policies must be planned interinstitutionally and with a transversal human rights approach, integrating national and international standards proposed by international organizations such as the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) or the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) .

Inadequate food is one of the main causes of noncommunicable diseases in the world and has as its main consequences overweight and obesity. Given the worrying panorama of excess weight in the Argentine population, it is necessary that – on the contrary – the State advances with regulation based on scientific evidence that seeks to discourage the consumption of unhealthy products and encourage the consumption of nutritional high-valued foods.

Author

Ana Carla Barrera Vitali

Contact

Agustina Mozzoni, agustinamozzoni@fundeps.org

Download link (Spanish version)

Canasta básica argentina – Documento Fundeps