Labeling Law: we demand transparent regulation

Together with Sanar, on Thursday, January 20, we sent a letter to the Nation’s Minister of Health (Dr. Carla Vizzotti), to the Secretary of Access to Health (Dr. Sandra Tirado) and to the Director of the National Food Institute (Lic. Monica Lopez). We request that the regulation of the Law for the Promotion of Healthy Food, sanctioned on October 26, be regulated in terms of transparency, free of conflicts of interest and with the participation of civil society.

“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”.

While the bill was discussed in the different chambers of the National Congress, attempts by the food industry to reduce its rigor became visible. Without success, now that it is time for its regulation, we fear the possible interference of the industry with orders aimed at hindering and delaying the process. For example, the shifting of the terms of the application of the law and the attempt to avoid the correct labeling in certain forms of presentation of drinkable and edible products.

To give rise to these possible interferences, other regulations that make up the regulations could be weakened; especially those that are intended to protect groups in a situation of vulnerability, such as children, adolescents, and low-income families.

It is due to this, that from the different civil society organizations we carry out different actions that demonstrate our interest in participating in the processes related to the regulation of the law; Since we do not have any type of conflict of interest, we can guarantee that it is regulated in a transparent manner and in accordance with the rights acquired at the time of sanction.

The health care of the Argentine population is still not certain, and we need the ministerial and competent entities to guarantee processes that respect that the regulation of the law will be based on the existing scientific evidence on the subject, in a clear and transparent.

Author
Lourdes Aparicio

Contact
Maga Merlo Vijarra, magamerlov@fundeps.org