Mexico Adopts Food Warning Labels, Why Now?

• Published in: Health systems and reform 2020-12, Vol.6 (1), p.e1752063-e1752063
• Main Authors: White, Mariel, Barquera, Simon
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Front-of-pack labeling; Health administration; non-communicable chronic diseases; nutrition policy; obesity; warning labels
• ISSN: 2328-8604; 2328-8620
• DOI: 10.1080/23288604.2020.1752063

Mexico recently voted to implement front-of-pack warning labels on food and beverage products deemed high in calories, sugar, saturated fat, trans fat, and sodium, and those containing non-caloric sweeteners. Research shows that warning labels allow consumers to quickly identify healthy and unhealthy products. Supporters claim these labels can help people make healthier decisions and combat growing rates of obesity and diet-related diseases. Warning labels will replace the Guideline Daily Amount (GDA) nutrition labels, which were implemented in 2014 against the guidance of public health leaders who argued the GDA was hard to understand and ineffective at conveying health risks. Conflicting interests between public health, government, and food industry slowed efforts to adopt a new nutrition label. Actions by academia and civil society to change the GDA were met with common strategies used to interfere in public health policies. However, in 2019, several factors came together to create favorable conditions for the approval of warning labels. The new leftist government's public promises to fight corruption fit well with labeling advocates' calls for transparency. Civil society and academia developed a highly coordinated response thanks to international funding, which propelled extensive marketing campaigns around the country and supported research efforts. These actions helped make the topic visible and place it strategically in the political and public agendas. Despite this legislative victory, the opposition has been strong and there are struggles ahead. Only time will reveal how effectively the law is implemented and to what extent it is upheld and defended.