The rules for food companies and producers, on the management of food allergens, were approved. These rules can be adopted by the legislation of each country and thus harmonize the requirements of trading partners.
The standards, which will apply to cereals containing gluten, crustaceans and their products, eggs and egg products, fish and fishery products, peanuts, soybeans and their products, milk and milk products, and nuts and their derivatives, were approved by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC43), the body responsible for all actions related to the implementation of the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme and which focus on protecting the health of consumers and ensuring fair practices in their marketing, reported the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Commerce (MEIC).
Due to the possible change in the regulations established by the European Union on the use of agrochemicals in the production of the fruit that enters their territory, exporters in the region are on the alert for the possible complications that this would generate in the commercialization.
In order to protect the health of consumers, European authorities could vary the maximum residue limits (MRL's) that food entering the region may contain.
Exporters are preparing for the new regulation that will be implemented from 2020 in the U.S. market, among which is the application of a new table of nutritional data in packaged products.
Representatives of the Guatemalan Association of Exporters (Agexport) reported that both U.S. and foreign companies exporting to the U.S., must comply with new food labeling standards.
Limiting the fees charged in Costa Rica and establishing a law that defines market limits in Guatemala are part of the attempts being made in the region to regulate the use of credit cards.
A law proposal presented last January before the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica, aims to regulate the percentage of the commission paid by businesses for credit or debit cards.
From May 22 to 27 Panama will be hosting the ISOTC228 Committee meeting on Tourism and Related Services, which oversees the quality of tourism internationally.
From a statement issued by the Tourism Authority of Panama:
From May 22 to 27 Panama will be hosting the twelfth plenary meeting of the ISOTC228 Committee on Tourism and Related Services, an organization that aims to ensure the quality of tourism internationally.
As of December 13 all processed and packaged food and beverages to be sold in the European Union must include detailed nutritional information.
From a statement issued by PROCOMER:
In 2014 in the European Union, the European Regulation on Information and Food Labelling (Regulation 1169/2011) came into force.The standard improves labeling on all products in order to provide useful, readable and understandable information to consumers.
The regulations in force for Central America allow two methods of certifying the weight of cargo moving through ports in the region.
The new regulations in force since July 1 oblige entities transporting containerized cargo by sea tocertify its weight under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (Solas). The problem cited by exporters is the increase this will have on costs, in addition to infrastructure problems faced in some ports in the region.
On October 12 and 13 representatives from the banking and financial sector will be gathering together in Panama City to discuss issues relating to regulation, business and investment.
The International Finance Summit is an event being organized by the Banking Association of Panama and will be held at the Hotel Trump Ocean Club Convention Center.
The State of the Region indicates that the asymmetries between the most regulated markets such as Costa Rica and others that are freer such as Guatemala and El Salvador constitute an obstacle to progress of the regional market.
Regional Integration section, the V Report on the State of the Region:
The regional electricity market in the agenda of the integration process
Increased operating costs because of risk controls imposed by the US have led to correspondent banks avoiding working with small banks.
Maintaining small structures at the same time as paying high costs in order to meet the standards required internationally, primarily in the United States, is no longer viable for banks who want to remain profitable.
Within the legislation on waste which has now been amended by the UN, thirteen new pesticides have been included, among them herbicides such as acetochlor and flumioxazine.
The UN "Codex Alimentarius" Commission reviewed and approved the new maximum allowable limits for residues of 31 pesticides in various foods.
Competing with multinationals under DR-CAFTA requires companies to comply with all the necessary processes to protect their brands, processes and products.
The arrival of multinational companies in Central America competing in legal equality with local or regional firms as a result of DR-CAFTA, highlights gaps in legal implementation and best practices for business on issues such as the protection of trademarks and intellectual property.
The prospective candidate must have magician's skills, preferably qualifications as an engineer or lawyer, and a vocation to be a punching bag.
EDITORIAL
It's been two weeks since the resignation of the Minister in charge of Public Works and Transport in Costa Rica and President Solis has not yet announced who will fill the position. And there is no doubt that it will be very difficult to find not only the ideal candidate for the job, but also someone willing to accept such an impossible mission.
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.