After the preliminary approval of the “Hojarasca” Law in the House of Representatives, the government of Javier Milei is preparing modifications to the Law for the Promotion of Healthy Eating, known as Front Labeling.
Official legislators have already presented a project to repeal it, while the Ministry of Deregulation, led by Federico Sturzenegger, is finalizing details of a new proposal.
The current regulation, enacted in 2021, requires that food and non-alcoholic beverage packaging include black octagons when they exceed critical nutrient limits (sodium, sugars, fats, and calories), following PAHO parameters. It also requires rectangular labels on products with caffeine or sweeteners, prohibits child advertising on packages with seals, and limits their sale in schools.
Previous Changes and Current Debate
In 2024, Anmat had already introduced modifications: the calculation of excessive nutrients applied only to those added during processing, not to the intrinsic ones in foods.
Now, the repeal project presented by Daiana Fernández Molero (Pro) and Alejandro Bongiovanni (La Libertad Avanza) argues that the current system generates “information distortion” because it measures nutrients in proportion to total calories and not in absolute values. According to 2023 data, 85% of products carried at least one seal, which, according to Bongiovanni, “confuses the consumer”.
Criticisms and Arguments
Legislators argue that:
- Consumer Confusion: if almost all products have octagons, the seal loses its meaning.
- Costs for Producers: increases production costs and hinders exports.
- Regional Incompatibility: the Argentine system does not align with those of Chile, Uruguay, Brazil, and Paraguay, which use absolute values per 100 grams or milliliters.
Regional Comparison
- Chile and Uruguay: apply absolute limits per standard portion.
- Brazil and Paraguay: similar parameters to each other, with different maximum values.
- Argentina: calculation proportional to total calories, resulting in more products with seals.
The lack of uniformity, deputies point out, complicates trade and investment, especially for SMEs.
Repeal Proposal
The project seeks for technical bodies to define criteria that are homologable with Mercosur, instead of maintaining a proprietary system. “Our proposal is repeal. To go back on the norm. And for technical bodies to establish reasonable and homologable criteria,” Bongiovanni explained to the La Nación portal.
The debate on Front Labeling faces two visions: on one hand, those who defend the regulation as a public health tool to reduce the consumption of products with excess critical nutrients; on the other, those who consider it confusing, costly, and not very compatible with regional systems.
The discussion in Congress will be key to determining whether Argentina maintains, modifies, or repeals a law that marked a milestone in the region’s food policy.
