On May 14, 2024, the Brazilian National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) published on its website four new guidelines for the implementation of food regulations, namely the 3rd edition of the Guidelines for the Implementation of Food Allergen Labeling Regulations, the 2nd edition of the Guidelines for the Implementation of the Regulations for the Labeling of Lactose in Foods, the 4th edition of the Guidelines for the Implementation of the Requirements for the Use of Trans Fatty Acids in the Food Industry, and the 2nd edition of the Guidelines for the Implementation of the Requirements for the Registration of New Food Formulas. (The above guidelines are also compliance guidance documents for manufacturers and distributors, as well as supporting documents for official authorities to carry out regulation). The main contents of the updates include:

(1) It is stipulated that food products that may be exposed to natural latex and its derivatives during processing, and the allergen control program implemented by the company cannot remove latex residues, should be labeled with the statement “may contain allergenic natural latex”;

(2) To stipulate that for infant formulae for special medical purposes and formulae to meet the needs of enteral nutrition, if the content of lactose is higher than 100mg/100g, the label of the product shall bear the warning statement “contains lactose”, which should be adjacent to the list of ingredients and should not be hidden intentionally, and the font should be in bold uppercase, with a minimum height of 2mm and should not be smaller than that of the ingredients. The warning should be adjacent to the list of ingredients and should not be hidden intentionally;

(3) Clarify that the ban on the use of partially hydrogenated fats and oils in the food industry also applies to food additives and processing aids;

(4) Provide for the obligation to explain to consumers after the replacement of new formulas for some food products subject to registration control. The above guidelines are effective from the date of publication.

For more information see: https://www.gov.br/anvisa/pt-br/assuntos/noticias-anvisa/2024/anvisa-publica-novas-edicoes-de-documentos-de-perguntas-e- respostas-sobre-alimentos