Front-of-package nutrition labelling policies in Uruguay, Mexico and Argentina

Aim: To document and analyse the processes of discussion, approval and implementation of front-of-package nutrition labelling regulations in Uruguay, Mexico and Argentina to provide insight into the strengthening of regulatory frameworks to prevent children overweight in Latin America and the Caribbean. Subject and methods: The study included a desk review and interviews with key stakeholders from government, international organizations, civil society and academia. A deductive-inductive analysis of the interviews was carried out and the data were triangulated with data from the desk review. The results were reported by stages of the political process and central themes. Results: It is necessary to analyse the health and nutrition, political and regulatory context of each country, as well as to safeguard the regulatory process against industry interference and guarantee social participation without conflicts of interest. Discussions on the details of the regulatory instrument should be based on scientific evidence. The support of international organizations throughout the regulatory process lend credibility and facilitates the sharing of lessons learned. Corporate political activities are very similar between countries and should be prevented, monitored, managed and exposed. The implementation and evaluation stages are as important as the approval of the regulations and should be incorporated at the start of the discussions to ensure their effectiveness. Conclusion: Each country has its own particularities, which must be considered throughout the regulatory process, although it is extremely important to learn from previous regulatory processes and benefit from successful experiences and possible improvements, guaranteeing human’s rights over commercial interests.