Bimbo case: Minsa will challenge Indecopi resolution that opens the doors to trans fats

The Ministry of Health (Minsa) announced that it will file a legal appeal against the resolution of the Indecopi Specialized Chamber for the Defense of Competition which freed Bimbo from a fine for failing to provide the warning about its trans fat content on rimless white bread.

According to said room, made up of officials linked to the industry and with conflicts of interest, “those products that contain less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving are liable to be presented as if they lacked such compound.”

In this regard, the Minsa specified that the Healthy Eating Law provides that, in the advertising of the product, of foods and non-alcoholic beverages with trans fats and high content of sugar, sodium and saturated fats, it must be stated in a clear, legible way , prominent and understandable, advertising warnings (octagons). This was the case of Bimbo, which received the permission of Indecopi under the United States law, and not the Peruvian one.

“Industrially produced trans fats are contained in hardened vegetable fats such as margarine, and are often found in baked or fried foods. Diets rich in trans fats increase the risk of heart disease by 21% and death by 28%, in this sense, eliminating trans fats is key to protecting health and saving lives ”, the document refers.

Likewise, the Minsa recalls that, since last July 23, 2021, The manufacture, import and marketing of partially hydrogenated oils and fats is prohibited. Consequently, its use as an ingredient in the production of industrialized food and beverages is not allowed.

“We disagree with the majority position of Indecopi’s Specialized Consumer Defense Chamber and we hold that the obligation to consign the advertising warning” Contains trans fats: Avoid their consumption “does not require any technical parameter and must be consigned in all products that contain trans fats, regardless of their amount. The purpose of the Peruvian legislation on trans fats is to avoid their consumption and gradually eliminate them in all processed products, the arguments of the court contravene this objective and unprotect consumers, “says the state entity.

“The Minsa is ratified in the defense of the population’s right to health and information to provide simple and easy-to-understand information on the content of critical nutrients such as sugar, saturated fat, trans fat or sodium content in processed products” added.