Medical College of Peru: exempting formulas from octagons will aggravate the food situation of children

He Medical College of Peru (CMP) has published a statement in which it rejects the promulgation of the law that “regulates the preparation and marketing of foods for special diets for vulnerable populations” approved by the Congress of the Republic, since it exempts formulas from the use of octagons . This Tuesday, May 30, the deadline for the Executive to observe the rule expires, if it does not pronounce, the legislature may publish it in the following days.

“The bill passed by Congress will aggravate the nutritional food situation of children by allowing commercially available breast-milk substitutes to be excluded from labeling (octagons) that law 30021 obliges them. Likewise, it flagrantly violates the Supreme Court ruling that forced the industry to put said octagons on all breast milk substitutes,” they said.

For the institution, it is urgent to improve the nutrition of vulnerable populations that are in a situation of poverty, especially in the context of rising prices. They also emphasize that breastfeeding up to 6 months must be exclusive to guarantee optimal nutrition for the child, while the products used in its replacement must not contain added sugars, They contribute to childhood obesity.

“Thanks to the octagons, health results show improvement in the populations that use them. There is no free market without information”specified the CMP.

College of Nurses of Peru: manufacturers reformulate their ingredients thanks to octagons

Along the same lines, the College of Nurses of Peru (CEP) asked President Dina Boluarte to observe the autograph because they consider that it threatens the health of the country’s children.

“Our country still maintains high percentages of anemia and malnutrition, and it is best to address it from childhood with exclusive breastfeeding to ensure adequate growth and development of children”they assured.

In addition, they highlight that Congress has approved a law that collides with the Supreme Court’s provision, which indicated that foods that replace breast milk, such as formulas, must carry the octagons.

“The use of octagons will allow the population to be duly informed about the food to be consumed, similar regulations already have positive impacts in South American countries, scientific studies have shown that manufacturers have been able to reformulate their ingredients and that people make more informed decisions when buying food”they concluded.