,The MERCOSUR Common Market Group (GMC) has adopted Resolution No. 05/25, approving a new MERCOSUR Technical Regulation on Nutritional Labelling of Packaged Foods. The regulation repeals and replaces GMC Resolutions 44/03, 46/03, 48/06, and 40/11, with the objective of modernising, harmonising, and strengthening nutritional labelling requirements across MERCOSUR Member States.
Key changes include the mandatory declaration of "total sugars" and "added sugars," updated Daily Reference Values (VDRs), and highly specific formatting requirements for the nutrition facts table.
The regulation applies to packaged foods marketed within MERCOSUR, including ingredients, food additives, and processing aids packaged in the absence of the consumer, as well as products intended exclusively for industrial processing or food service establishments. It also applies to intra-MERCOSUR trade and imports from third countries.
Certain foods, such as natural mineral waters and foods prepared and packed at food service establishments for immediate consumption, are excluded or subject to voluntary nutrition declaration. Under the regulation, nutritional labelling is defined as any declaration intended to inform consumers about the nutritional properties of food, including the nutrition facts table, nutrition claims, and front-of-pack nutrition labelling.
The declaration of energy value and the following nutrients is mandatory: carbohydrates, total sugars, added sugars, proteins, total fats, saturated fats, trans fats, dietary fibre, and sodium.
For dietary supplements, nutritional labelling is mandatory and must include only the nutrients present in the product. A vitamin C supplement providing 45 mg of vitamin C per serving must declare this amount along with its %DV, based on the MERCOSUR Daily Reference Value of 45 mg/day, corresponding to 100% DV.
For foods for infants and young children, the nutrition declaration must comply with this regulation while also meeting product-specific technical requirements. An infant cereal must declare energy, macronutrients, sugars, sodium, and any added vitamins or minerals per 100 g and per serving, including a declaration of 0 mg sodium where applicable.
For foods for special medical purposes, such as enteral nutrition formulas, the regulation requires declaration of energy and nutrients critical to dietary management. A liquid medical nutrition product providing 1.0 kcal/ml, 4 g of protein per 100 ml, and 120 mg of sodium per 100 ml must declare these values using the prescribed format.
Energy values must be calculated using specified conversion factors, including 4 kcal/g for proteins and carbohydrates and 9 kcal/g for fats. The regulation establishes tolerance ranges for declared values to ensure accuracy and regulatory compliance, with defined limits depending on the nutrient and its source.
The regulation sets detailed requirements for format, font size, layout, colour contrast, and placement of the nutrition facts table. Permitted formats include vertical, horizontal, linear, grouped, bilingual, and simplified models. Simplified formats may be used when nutrients are present in non-significant amounts, such as beverages containing less than 25 kcal per 100 ml, subject to compliance with the specified conditions.
To facilitate implementation, the regulation establishes phased transition periods of 12 months for foods intended exclusively for industrial processing or food services, 36 months for most packaged foods, 48 months for foods produced by small manufacturers as defined by national authorities, and 60 months for non-alcoholic beverages in returnable packaging. Products manufactured before the end of the applicable transition periods may continue to be marketed until the end of their shelf life.
Overall, the regulation aims to enhance consumer understanding of nutritional information, strengthen public health protection, and reduce technical barriers to trade through harmonised nutritional labelling requirements across MERCOSUR Member States