Brazil Bill 956/26 Draft Bill Prohibits Labels from Displaying Images of Ingredients that are not Part of the Food's Recipe

Bill 956/26 prohibits photos or illustrations of ingredients that are not part of the product's composition on labels and packaging of processed foods . According to the text, the mere presence of synthetic aroma or flavor does not grant the right to use images of the actual ingredient on the packaging . The measure aims to prevent visual elements from misleading consumers at the time of purchase.

To highlight an ingredient in a product name, it must be present in a significant quantity. The technical criteria for defining what constitutes a "significant quantity" will be established by the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa), following international standards. The goal is to ensure that the food's name meets the expectations of those who consume it.

Products that do not contain a significant quantity of the ingredient may only refer to it using expressions such as "flavor of," "artificial flavor of," or "type." Furthermore, these packages must avoid colors or graphics that suggest the actual presence of the ingredient.

According to the proposal, the use of images of juicy fruits in juices that contain only colorings and flavorings, for example, constitutes misleading advertising.

The author of the proposal, Representative Félix Mendonça Júnior (PDT-BA), states that the market is full of products that take advantage of the reputation of premium foods without them actually being part of the composition. "When a product displays juicy red strawberries on the packaging but contains not a single gram of real strawberries, there is clear misleading advertising," the congressman stated .

The proposal adapts recommendations from the Codex Alimentarius , an international body of the FAO – the United Nations agency specializing in food safety, agriculture and sustainable development – and the World Health Organization , to Brazilian legislation .