Baking & Snack - June 2019 - 47

Warning labels fuel broader
array of health initiatives

cally with on-the-go breakfast items and smaller-portion
snacks - among the region's primary mega trends along
with some consumers' newfound willingness to experiment with new branded products.
"In regard to the experience trend, the addition of different grains and seeds in baking products to provide nutrition and texture continues to grow," she explained. "We also
see more products on the shelf that have a mixture of sweet
and salty ingredients like bread with chocolate, popcorn
mix such as butter popcorn plus caramel in the same bag,
or trail seed mix with salty nuts and chocolate."
Snacks and other sweet goods such as cookies have come
under attack as Latin American countries, led by Chile,
are targeting an obesity epidemic that affects more than
half of the region's population. The nation's tough labeling
initiative prevents marketing to children younger than 14
and includes front-of-package "stop signs" that caution
consumers about products that are high in sugar, saturated
fats or calories. Ms. Gollo noted the regulations prompted
Grupo Bimbo to innovate in healthier products. Even
stricter regulations went into effect this year in Chile, and
the movement is spreading in Peru and Uruguay as many
CPG companies had expected.
As global sustainability gains prominence, the issue
has taken on greater importance in Latin America because such concerns as waste can have a more direct effect on food prices and even their supply, according to
Mr. Das Gupta. He noted the UN Food and Agriculture
Organization estimated that 6% of the global food waste
occurs in Latin America and the Caribbean. "Such food
losses are mainly associated with lack of investments in in-

When it comes to regulating health
and wellness in Latin America, Chile
is leading the way with mandatory
front-of-package warning labels on
packaged foods and beverages that
are high in calories, sugar, saturated
fats and sodium. That 2016 initiative also prevents these items from
advertising in child-targeted media or
on radio, television, the internet and
movie theaters as a strategy to fight
child obesity.
"The country also has [similar]
labeling requirements for imported
products, with packaged goods to be
marked showing the quality, purity,
ingredients, mixtures, manufacturing dates, expiration dates and net
weight of the contents," said Sourya
Das Gupta, senior research analyst,
Mordor Intelligence. "Such regulations are enabling consumers to opt
for healthier products with more
labels than products with less labels."
Other nations are following Chile's
lead with their own initiatives focusing on healthy foods.
In 2016, Mr. Das Gupta noted, the
Pan American Health Organization
(PAHO) launched the PAHO Nutrient
Model to help governments develop
more effective policies to encourage healthy eating. Specifically, the
model identifies unhealthy products
and discourages their consumption,
making it easier for consumers to
focus on traditional diets based on
fresh or minimally processed foods.
Additionally, he said, Brazil, Costa
Rica and Ecuador have regulated
food marketing to school children
and implemented front-of-packaging
labeling geared at encouraging
healthy diet habits.
"Such regulations are hampering the sales of companies offering
processed foods, such as breads and
biscuits, as consumers are shifting
toward organic and fresh foods,"
Mr. Das Gupta explained.

www.bakingandsnack.com / June 2019 Baking & Snack 47

http://www.bakingandsnack.com

Baking & Snack - June 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Baking & Snack - June 2019