Best practices for front-of-package food labeling in the Region of the Americas

Front-of-package warning labeling is a key policy for facilitating food system transformation and the implementation of other effective public health interventions, such as marketing restrictions, school food policies, and fiscal policies targeting unhealthy foods. This technical note provides an analysis of the regulations governing front-of-package nutritional warning labeling implemented in the Region of the Americas up to 30 June 2024. 

 

Regulations were obtained from official sources and from World Health Organization (WHO) and Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) databases, primarily the WHO repository of global actions on food and nutrition. The report assesses the extent to which regulatory frameworks align with best practices for the implementation of the policy, in accordance with scientific evidence and PAHO recommendations, by analyzing key elements of front-of-package labeling systems including graphic design, the criteria used to identify products likely to be subject to such labeling, and the prohibitions applicable to the packaging of products bearing front-of-package nutritional warning labels. 

 

The analysis was conducted using standardized parameters and through expert review. The results show that substantial progress has been made in several countries in the Region; at the same time, they reveal gaps in – and opportunities to strengthen – regulatory frameworks in countries implementing or developing them. This publication is a key resource for policymakers and public health stakeholders committed to improving food environments and preventing noncommunicable diseases.