The Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (ANVISA) enacted new product composition rules and labeling requirements for food preparations containing whole-grain ingredients, providing rules for product denomination. They seek to standardize the market and facilitate consumer choice.
RDC Resolution n. 493/2021 from the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (ANVISA) established new product composition rules and labeling requirements for classifying food preparations as whole-grain or as containing whole-grain ingredients. The new rules and requirements intend to standardize the market and facilitate consumer choice, while enhancing the regulatory framework on cereal and flour, provided by RDC Resolution n. 263/2005.
According to the new resolution (article 3), food preparations can be classified as whole-grain when at least 30% of their final product composition are of whole-grain ingredients, and when that whole-grain composition is larger than the composition of refined ingredients. Whole-grain and refined ingredients are defined in article 2.
The main provision enacted by the resolution concern the labeling of whole-grain statements (article 5). Those statements must now disclaim the composition percentage of whole-grain ingredients relative to the final product. Additionally, according to articles 4 and 5, only food preparations classified as whole-grain and that disclaim their whole-grain percentage composition can have a product sale denomination of whole-grain (“integral” or “com cereais integrais”, in Portuguese).
Therefore, food preparations that do not fulfill the conditions of whole-grain classification cannot have a whole-grain product denomination, but their label can disclaim the composition percentage of whole-grain ingredients. More details are provided in the resolution. The resolution comes into force on April 22, 2022. When in force, a further 12-to-24-month adaptation period will take place (article 12).
