Five years after the implementation of front labeling on products, Alejandra Contreras, a researcher at the National Institute of Public Health, points out positive results for the population. According to her statements, this policy could prevent 1.3 million cases of obesity every five years.
Contreras mentions that with the arrival of Phase 3 of labeling in 2025, only 19% of products will be free of labels. This marks a significant advance since Phase 1 in 2020, when 25% of products did not have the new labeling. In Phase 2 of 2022, 20% of food items did not have a label, which led part of the industry to generate new products or reformulate existing ones to make them healthier.
At a health forum held in Mexico City, Contreras emphasized that the new labeling has caused changes in purchasing decisions: 67% among adults and 80% among parents. According to the researcher, women, children, older adults, overweight individuals, indigenous people, and nutrition experts are the ones who most utilize the labeling when making purchases.
Contreras also highlights that those who claim not to have changed their purchasing habits due to the labeling tend to consume approximately 300 milliliters more of sugary drinks than those who did modify their choices. The researcher points out that the food industry tends to label products with excess sugars, calories, and saturated fats more frequently.
At the same event, Contreras criticized the food industry for prioritizing its income over consumers' health, especially that of children. In her own words: "The industry has an enormous greed for its revenues to continue growing, regardless of whether it is at the expense of consumers' health, especially children."
