The Government of Colombia has published Law 2265 to introduce the Braille reading and writing system for the packaging of food products, cosmetics, medical products, among others.

Law 2265 aims to ensure access to information for people with visual disabilities through the implementation of the use of mobile applications, the use of other available technological, digital, and informative media, or through the Braille system, impacting on local and imported products.

According to the Law, the technical regulation must be published by 28 July 2024 (2 years after the publication of the Law) and the Braille system and the other provisions of the Law will come into force from 1 July 2027. 

?Although this type of labelling would not be entirely new to the medicines industry, it remains to be seen how the authorities in charge of developing technical regulation will consider the challenges posed by this type of labelling for certain materials used in food packaging. 

In the region, Chile is discussing a proposal in Congress to include this type of labelling on products marketed there, including foodstuffs, while in Brazil, Anvisa included in the Regulatory Agenda the discussion of access to the information necessary for the safe consumption of products subject to sanitary surveillance by visually impaired people. Argentina is debating a bill that would introduce the use of Braille only for medicines, while the Senate has expressed its intention to introduce a new bill covering food and beverages. 

These discussions suggest that the Latin American governments have begun to see the importances of the labelling not only as a means of communication, but also as a means of inclusion of people with visual disabilities.

Reach out to us to know more about the food and food supplement regulation in Latin America and the Caribbean. 

23 September, 2022

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