Packaged food containing sweeteners and which may be consumed by children

Consulta Pública para la Modificación del Reglamento Sanitario de los Alimentos, Decreto Supremo N° 977/96 del Ministerio de Salud Introduce Nuevo Artículo 120 Ter (Public consultation on the amendment to the Food Health Regulations, Supreme Decree No. 977/96 of the Ministry of Health, introducing Article 120 ter)(8 pages, in Spanish)

In the light of recent evidence from the World Health Organization (WHO) on the negative effects of consuming sweeteners, and national data showing high consumption by children, the Ministry of Health (MINSAL) considers it imperative that mothers, fathers and caregivers of children have the information they need to make informed choices about the consumption of these products. MINSAL has therefore deemed it necessary to include in national legislation a front-of-pack warning label for food products containing these substances.

In accordance with the precautionary principle, it is proposed that labels for products containing sweeteners bear the following mandatory message: "CONTAINS SWEETENERS. AVOID CONSUMPTION BY CHILDREN". The Ministry of Health welcomes participation in this public consultation to gather opinions and suggestions that will help improve this regulatory initiative to protect the health of our population, especially children.