Nutritional Labels Reduce Unhealthy Food Purchases: INSP

According to research conducted by the National Institute of Public Health (INSP), Mexicans have reduced their consumption of unhealthy food and beverages four years after the implementation of front-of-pack food labeling. 

INSP’s study, Self-Reported Reductions in Purchases of Selected Unhealthy Foods Due to the Implementation of Warning Labels in Young and Adult Mexican Populations, published in the medical journal International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, revealed that the introduction of nutritional warning labels has reduced purchases of unhealthy foods in Mexico.

The article was based on data from the International Food Policy Study (IFPS) 2020-2021, which gathered information from adults over 18 years old and youths aged 14-17 residing in Mexico. According to the results, participants reported perceived changes in their food purchases across nine different categories where nutritional warning labels were common. These categories included cola drinks, regular sodas, diet sodas, sugary fruit drinks, candy bars, chocolate, potato chips, desserts, and sugary cereals.

Overall, 44.8% of adults and 38.7% of youths reported buying less unhealthy food due to the implementation of warning labels, with the largest proportion reporting decreased purchases of cola, regular, and diet sodas. Moreover, a greater impact of these measures was observed among females, individuals who self-identified as indigenous, those who were overweight, individuals with lower educational levels, those with higher nutrition knowledge, households with children, and those with a significant role in household food purchases. Additionally, adults who reported higher water intake and lower consumption of sugary drinks stated that the primary reason for this decision was the food labeling.

In 2022, Hugo López-Gatell, former Deputy Minister of Health, shared that a year after the implementation of warning labels on food products, 80% of Mexico’s population recognized the octagon-shaped labels, as reported by MBN. Furthermore, 70% of adults in Mexico approve of front-of-pack labeling, and among parents, the approval rises to 80%, according to monitoring conducted by the INSP and El Poder del Consumidor.

In contrast to these data, Banxico reported that between 2006 and 2022, Mexicans' food expenditure increased by 8.4%, primarily driven by the consumption of processed and ultra-processed products. Most recently, processed food spending in Mexico rose by 30% between January and March 2024, while ultra-processed food spending jumped by 20.5%, according to Banxico’s Regional Economies Report for 1Q24.

Regarding child obesity, the Food Health Alliance, an organization comprising civil associations and professionals concerned about overweight issues in the country, reported that children and adolescents are the main consumers of junk food in Mexico. According to the organization, one in four children live with obesity and 50% will develop diabetes in adulthood, losing four years of life expectancy compared to their parents. In this context, the organization made an urgent call to the Ministry of Public Education (SEP) to issue new general guidelines for the sale and distribution of prepared and processed foods and beverages in schools within the National Education System for the 2024-2025 school year. “If the guidelines are effectively applied during the next school year, the number of cases of childhood obesity will be reduced by 500,000 in one year,” the alliance underscored.

Front-of-package labeling was implemented in October 2020 under the modification of NOM-051, in response to the high rates of obesity and diabetes among the population. This measure required companies to label their products to warn Mexicans about high levels of sugar, fat, calories, sodium, sweeteners, and caffeine not recommended for children in ultra-processed products. The new labeling prompted industry backlash with over 100 legal amparos. However, in April 2024, the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJN) declared the constitutionality of the legal provisions regulating front-of-pack food labeling.