Mexico’s Supreme Court of Justice has ruled the country’s nutrition label, SEFAB, is constitutional and respects the public’s right to food, health and information, a decision welcomed by the food industry but decried by civil society.
Mexico’s current nutrition label is deficient, incomprehensible and should be replaced by Chilean-style warning labels, a governmental advisory committee has said.
Amaranth, Mexico’s native grain is now part of the country's 'basic basket' of goods, an official come-back for this nutritious superfood that was sacred to the Aztecs. We look at how manufacturers can use it in their products.
Argentina's food waste law, which encourages food businesses to donate surplus produce to food banks while protecting them from prosecution, has entered into force.
Brand familiarity and trust create a protective 'shield’ that leads consumers to perceive a product as healthy – even if a red warning traffic light is telling them otherwise, according to data from Ecuador and Chile.
The Cuban government wants more international investment in the country's food industry - a tempting proposition given there are few foreign competitors. But how easy is it to do business in a communist country?
Arcor’s head of nutrition development tells us how it is making its products healthier, from reducing sugar with prebiotics and researching fat crystallization to applying nutrient thresholds and shrinking portion sizes.
Brazil’s Institute of Consumer Protection (IDEC) has launched a platform that allows the public to identify ‘misleading’ or ‘abusive’ food advertising.
The NOVA food classification bears "striking similarity" to the way ordinary Brazilians classify food, increasing its efficacy, according to a study. "This classification has introduced a new way of thinking about food," they write.
Stevia, allulose, and fiber are Tate & Lyle’s three key ingredients for successful sugar reduction in Latin America. “These will show the biggest growth in Latin America for sugar reduction,” it says.
Nestlé Brazil's legal vice president Flavio de Souza, the new chair of Brazilian trade association ABIA, has slammed warning nutrition labels as misleading and alarmist.
Nuts are "delicious, nutritious and tailor-made for the functional food market"- but the market in Brazil is stagnating. FoodNavigator-LATAM caught up with the president of trade association ABNC about how it plans to change this.
In price-sensitive markets such as Latin America, does clean label reformulation to make products healthier or more natural offer a return on investment?
Bean-to-bar chocolate supplier Alerlit talks to FoodNavigator-LATAM about the origins of Mexican-style hot chocolate, the country's 'floral' cocoa flavor and its production process.
Ecuador’s efforts to create value at origin could be damaged by the EU’s recent regulation of heavy metal cadmium in chocolate, claims the president of the country’s cocoa export association.
Adding the Nutri-Score to food and drink resulted in Colombians choosing more green-labeled products - not fewer red ones - and spending more overall in-store. “This is a potential financial incentive to stores,” say the researchers.
We hit Mexico's ANTAD Alimentaria last week to seek out the latest trends in finished products. From cactus snacks to green banana flour; matcha horchata to lemon popcorn, this is what we saw.
One of the world's favorite flavors, vanilla originates from Mexico, and the vanilla produced there has its own aromatic profile with balanced vanillin, chocolate and spice notes, according to supplier Zanilli.
'What we're wrestling with is whether CBD is an ingredient play, or something huge brands can be built around'
The fact that CBD is not a legal ingredient in foods and supplements - at least not yet - did not deter scores of exhibitors at Expo West, who added it to everything from soda to protein bars (absent any claims), with some opting for isolates, but most...
Latin American consumers want to buy better, safer food and companies need to react, according to R&D company AINIA. 'The dual forces of consumer awareness and legislation are evolving the market,' says its director of international projects.
Brazilian craft chocolate brand Mestiço was founded by a Bahian cocoa farmer who saw artisan chocolate as a way to escape the uncertainty of the fluctuating cocoa commodity market. We spoke to its founder and CEO.
Chile's strict food regulations are helping mothers - and even children - make healthier food choices for the family, according to a study. The findings are “overwhelmingly positive”, say the researchers.
Specialty nut and seed oils from the Amazon, such as murumuru, could be used to replace cocoa butter or to boost the nutritional profile of products such as margarine, Brazilian researchers say.
Young Argentinians' and Ecuadorians' perception of ultra-processed food is closely aligned with the original definition, recent research suggests, and the results can help manufacturers with successful new product development.
Mexico is on a drive to boost cocoa production and wants to position itself as Latin America's top producer of added-value fine, flavor cocoa. We spoke to trade group ASCHOCO.
Chile is on a drive to increase investment and innovation by offering tax breaks for research and development (R&D) in any sector. “Chile is the natural laboratory for companies who want to see how the market responds to a product," says InvestChile
Chile's Gelymar is developing a "completely new" range of apple fiber products and making seaweed sourcing more sustainable. "Natural, unique and sustainable are the three pillars that will dominate the future hydrocolloid industry,"...
There is a high level of public support for front-of-pack nutrition warning labels among the Uruguayan public, according to a 1,400-strong survey. “In the Latin American context, the Chilean scheme seems particularly appropriate," write the researchers.
The caramel and fruity notes of sapote make it ideal for both creamy dairy and acidic beverage applications, and can help manufacturers appeal to Latin American consumers, says supplier Aromatech.
Producing sugarcane according to Bonsucro sustainability standards can halve greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and boost crop yields, according to recent research. "A clear case" for seeking certification for this "very thirsty crop",...
From jabuticaba-flavored yogurt to guacamole mayonnaise, processed food firms are catering to Latin Americans demand for natural, healthy, and authentic foods, according to a survey by ingredient supplier Kerry.
ConMéxico reacts: 'Our lobbying is legal, legitimate and transparent'
Mexico's lack of action to tackle its obesity crisis over the past six years may be due to policymakers' close ties with the food and drink industry, according to a report by consumer rights group El Poder del Consumidor.
Natural Habitats is one of the world's biggest producers of certified organic palm oil, and almost all its supplies are grown in Ecuador. We caught up with its sustainability director to find out more.
Argentinian start-up The Food Market is an e-commerce platform for local and regional brands, giving producers "an unthinkable growth opportunity" and consumers the chance to buy "honest, transparent" brands.
Many critics of the NOVA food classification are biased due to close ties to the food industry, according to Brazilian researchers - but are the lines between criticism of NOVA and support of food processing becoming blurred?
Appearing in Mexican street food, Argentinian coffee shops and Brazilian chocolate, hibiscus flavors are conquering the Latin American continent in categories as diverse as beverages, confectionery and dairy. We spoke to supplier Firmenich to find out...
Nopal cactus is a native vegetable commonly eaten fresh in Mexico. But it's the high-fiber, high-calcium powder format that has true superfood status, says one Mexican supplier.
The 2016 law aims to restrict the exposure of children to advertising ofpre-packaged foods high in energy, saturated fats, sugars and/or sodium (HEFSS). A new study explores how much of an impact that could be.
From the continued growth of the organic category in the US to Roquette's optimism around plant-based milk for pea protein and regulatory developments to watch in APAC, a lot has happened over the past seven days. Here’s a round-up of the top seven...
Internationally recognized academic experts are calling for Brazil to adopt the warning sign system pioneered by neighboring Chile, and not traffic light labels favored by many industry groups.
Becoming Latin America's most valuable brand – like Corona achieved in 2018 – is no easy feat, but there are five consumer-driven attributes that are key to such success, says Kantar Consulting.
From the stevia specialist PureCircle looking to move beyond sweeteners to Nestlé’s new Institute of Packaging Science and Cargill’s big Asian food system mega-trends to watch, a lot has happened over the past seven days. Here’s a round-up of the top...
Brazil will soon hand power over to president-elect Bolsonaro and food and beverage manufacturers must be ready to 'act quickly' to any impending change, says a LATAM consulting expert.
Consumers across Latin America care greatly about environmental issues and a high percentage expect corporate engagement and will forfeit non-environmentally friendly brands, particularly in Colombia, finds Nielsen.
