Coca-Cola FEMSA Files Amparo against Labeling Reform

Coca-Cola FEMSA, one of the main bottlers of Coca-Cola beverages worldwide, has decided to file an amparo against the new labeling standards will go into effect by Oct. 1. The reform in question is that of the Official Mexican Standard (NOM-051) for the labeling of non-alcoholic beverages and pre-packaged foods. It requires products to have nutritional information and warnings regarding the content of proteins, sweeteners, added sugars, sodium, saturated fats and other fats for every 100 grams or 100ml of a product. In a statement, the company said “it could not assure that this reform will not have an adverse effect on its business and the results of its operations in Mexico.”

The reform of NOM-051 has already been approved and published in the Official Journal of the Federation (DOF) and is ready to be enforced on Oct. 1. At the moment, new modifications to the reform are still pending approval.  In August, new deadlines and criteria were set that would delay or bar authorities from giving out sanctions while carrying out verification of the new labels on products. Consumers can already expect thousands of products to have warning seals, black octagons and precautionary legends with nutritional information. However, products that comply with the NOM-051 but do not have the front labeling, seals and legends according to the modifications after Oct. 1 but before Nov. 30 will not yet be sanctioned.

Coca-Cola FEMSA’s amparo comes in the midst of another big corporate announcement, which was the issuing of a US$705 million in green bonds that the company hopes will allow it to invest heavily in becoming more sustainable. To read more about this green bond, read our article here.

Meanwhile, the issue of consumption of goods with high sugar and fat content remains at the middle of the political conversation. Just this morning, in his second Informe de Gobierno, President Lopez Obrador called on the need for people to consume less products with high sugar, fats and chemicals content. He linked this directly to the prevalence of diabetes and obesity in the country, which he stated was a major risk factor amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.