The European Union is proposing simplifying the approval processes for "novel foods" products, so called because they have no history of consumption, are produced with new ingredients or are "traditional" in origin.
From a press release issued by the Costa Rican Foreign Trade Promotion Office (Procomer):
The European Union (EU) has taken up the proposal for regulation for novel foods.
The FDA now requires calorie information to be included on menus of restaurants, chain, similar retail food establishments and vending machines with 20 or more locations.
From a statement issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) US:
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States has finalized two regulations requiring the inclusion of calorie information on menus and menu boards in chain restaurants, similar retail food establishments and vending machines with 20 or more locations, in order to offer consumers greater nutritional information on food eaten outside of the home. The regulations are a requirement of the law on Affordable Health Care and Patient Protection 2010.
The absence of regulations defining rates and market operations prevents the region from taking advantage of the energy that Mexico will be able to export under the new energy law.
As Mexico prepares to increase its power generation and export surpluses, the lack of a legal framework establishing the conditions for selling energy through the Electrical Interconnection System for Central America (SIEPAC) is delaying the possibility of accessing less expensive energy.
Including information on food labels relating to "added sugars", updating serving sizes and calories are some of the changes proposed.
From a statement issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA):
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is proposing an update to the Nutrition Facts labels used on most packaged food in the United States. If the proposal goes through, the following will be some of the proposed changes.
Questions and answers on the application of Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011 on food information to consumers.
Starting in December 2014 the regulation No. 1169/2011 on food information for consumers will come into effect.
On October 25, 2011, the European Parliament and the Council adopted Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on food information given to consumers (hereinafter called 'the IAC Regulation').
Two new programs propose verification regulations on foreign suppliers for importers of food used for human and animal consumption.
The new rules proposed by the Bureau of Food and Drug Administration of the United States (FDA), is in the process of public review and comment for a period of 120 days.
The first set of rules "... would require U.S. importers to verify that their suppliers produce foods that meet U.S.
Starting from May 1st new regulations in China came into force which govern inspection, quarantine and supervision of imports and exports of dairy products.
From an article by the Costa Rican Trade Promotion Office (PROCOMER):
The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China (AQSIQ by its acronym in English) recently released two statements, which regulate Decree No.
The European Union has put into effect a regulation to combat trade in products manufactured with illegal timber with an emphasis on traceability.
From an article by the Costa Rican Trade Promotion Office (PROCOMER):
In March the European Union (EU) put into effect Regulation (EU) 995/2010 of the European Parliament which seeks to regulate the market for wood products in order to minimize the risk of selling illegal timber in the EU, this regulation requires the operator or company responsible for introducing a product of this nature to the region to be able to apply the principle of "due diligence", so as to ensure that timber traded is legal.
This first unification of regulations will benefit the export sector of food and medicine industry.
The signing of the agreement to unify technical regulations will be held next Monday and will then be submitted for review to the countries of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
"The unification of rules prevents companies ... to have the need to arrange export permits for each country in the region," reports the article in Nacion.com.
Costa Rican food exports with raw materials of animal origin are facing entrance problems in El Salvador and Honduras.
According to Prensa.com, the Chamber of Food Industries (CAIC) reported: "The governments of El Salvador and Honduras have established a number of conditions that aggravate the already complicated environment of regulatory excesses faced by Costa Rican companies.