Report Name:Colombia Notifies Draft Measure to Restrict Processed
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Voluntary Report – Voluntary - Public Distribution Date: May 04,2020 Report Number: CO2020-0016 Report Name: Colombia Notifies Draft Measure to Restrict Processed Foods that Exceed Sodium Targets Country: Colombia Post: Bogota Report Category: FAIRS Subject Report, Policy and Program Announcements Prepared By: Moises Huerta Approved By: Benjamin Rau Report Highlights: On July 26, 2019, Colombia notified a proposed technical regulation that defines the maximum sodium content for a list of 67 processed foods to the WTO TBT Committee as G/TBT/N/COL/238. This measure ultimately seeks to reduce hypertension and related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) associated to excess salt intake. The proposed measure establishes a mandatory one and three-year maximum sodium content targets for each of the 67 food categories. THIS REPORT CONTAINS ASSESSMENTS OF COMMODITY AND TRADE ISSUES MADE BY USDA STAFF AND NOT NECESSARILY STATEMENTS OF OFFICIAL U.S. GOVERNMENT POLICY On July 26, 2019, Colombia notified to the WTO TBT Committee a “Draft Technical Regulation establishing the maximum sodium content for food products prioritized in the National Strategy for the Reduction of Sodium Consumption and setting forth other provisions”. The draft regulation was notified to the WTO as G/TBT/N/COL/238. The text of this proposed regulation can be located at: https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2019/TBT/COL/19_4077_00_s.pdf This measure was developed by Colombia’s Ministry of Health and Social Protection (MINHEALTH) and seeks to reduce hypertension and related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) associated to excess salt intake. MINHEALTH claims that this proposed regulation is one of the multiple mechanisms that the Colombian government is using to reduce the allegedly high salt intake among Colombians. MINHEALTH is working towards reaching the per capita daily salt consumption of 5,000 mg, recommended by the World Health Organization. To help achieve this, MINHEALTH identified 67 processed foods of high interest and established maximum sodium content levels for each product, following a mg of sodium per 100 mg of total content basis for year 1 (12 months after the regulation goes into effect), and year 3 (36 months after the regulation goes into effect). Below is the list of 67 targeted product categories: 1) Tuna in oil 2) Tuna in water 3) Mixed Tuna 4) Dehydrated bases 5) Dehydrated broths 6) Ground chicken sausage 7) Mixed Cereals and multi-ingredient breakfast items 8) Extruded and puffed breakfast cereal 9) Frosted breakfast cereal 10) Chorizo sausage 11) Chicken chorizo sausage 12) Packaged crouton 13) Natural flavor extrudates THIS REPORT CONTAINS ASSESSMENTS OF COMMODITY AND TRADE ISSUES MADE BY USDA STAFF AND NOT NECESSARILY STATEMENTS OF OFFICIAL U.S. GOVERNMENT POLICY 14) Flavor extrudates 15) Pretzel/crackers 16) Special pretzels/crackers 17) Ham 18) Chicken ham 19) Peanuts with other nuts 20) Peanuts with raisins 21) Salted peanuts 22) Sweet peanuts 23) Lightly salted peanuts 24) Peanuts mixed with other ingredients 25) Japanese peanuts 26) Butter 27) Industrial margarine 28) Table and cooking margarine and spread 29) Mayonnaise 30) Mix to prepare flavoring seasoning 31) Mix to prepare tenderizing seasonings 32) Flavored natural mixtures 33) Flavored mixtures 34) Mortadella 35) Chicken mortadella 36) Mustards 37) Packaged soft bread 38) Packaged pastry bread 39) Packaged sliced bread 40) Packaged toasted bread 41) Flavored potato chips 42) Natural flavor potato chips 43) Wheat flour-based snacks 44) Fried pork-based snacks 45) Vegetable pasta 46) Bananas and/or yuccas/cassavas 47) Wheat flour products 48) Baked products made from yucca/cassava starch 49) Cream cheese 50) Fresh unripened cheese 51) Fresh unripened string cheese 52) Hot dog/sausage 53) Chicken hot dog/sausage 54) Bologna sausage 55) Chicken bologna sausage 56) Soy sauce 57) Tomato sauce 58) Tomato-based sauces 59) Sauces with tomato 60) Vegetable-based sauces 61) Emulsified sauces 62) Non-emulsified sauces 63) Sardines in oil 64) Sardines in tomato sauce 65) Dehydrated soups containing pasta 66) Dehydrated soups and creams 67) Corn tortillas Under this regulation, domestic and foreign suppliers must not exceed the established maximum sodium content and will be subject to government compliance verification and sanctions if found in non- compliance. In terms of compliance verification, the proposed regulation establishes the use of “certificates of conformity” Although these certificates are currently used by domestic and foreign manufacturers of toys, detergents, and some electrical items to demonstrate compliance with certain health and environmental regulations, if the draft measure is implemented, this may be the first time Colombia requires manufacturers to submit certificates of conformity for food products. Furthermore, on the possible sanctions due to non-compliance, the proposed regulation suggests that these will include those described under Law 9 of 1979. Many domestic and international food manufacturers and sellers have expressed serious concerns regarding the eventual implementation of this regulation as it may require extensive and costly reformulation to bring their products into compliance. In October 2019, the United States Government submitted comments and questions to the Colombian Government about this draft measure. The European Union, and Governments of Mexico, Peru, and other international groups also submitted questions and comments about this regulation. As of April 2020, the measure has not yet been officially issued. Attachments: No Attachments..