The Resolução – RDC nº 359, issued on December 23, 2003, by the Diretoria Colegiada da Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária (ANVISA), aims to improve sanitary control measures in the food sector to protect public health. The resolution emphasizes the importance of aligning national legislation with Mercosur harmonized instruments regarding nutritional labeling of packaged foods. It grants consumers the right to information about the nutritional characteristics and composition of the food they purchase. Key points include: 1. **Scope of Application**: The regulation applies to nutritional labeling of packaged foods sold without the customer present. 2. **Definitions**: It defines terms such as "portion," "home measure," "unit," "fraction," "slice," and "semi-prepared or ready-to-eat food." 3. **Home Measures**: Establishes standard home measures and their conversions to grams or milliliters. 4. **Portion Size Determination**: Outlines a methodology for determining portion sizes based on daily energy intake and food classification. 5. **Tolerance Criteria**: Allows variations of ±30% in portion sizes for individual packages and units of consumption. 6. **Special Cases**: Provides guidelines for semi-prepared, ready-to-eat, concentrated, powdered, dehydrated, and multi-phase foods. 7. **Non-Edible Parts**: States that portion sizes should refer only to edible parts. 8. **Multiple Units**: Differentiates between identical and dissimilar units in packaging and provides specific instructions for each. The resolution mandates that companies must comply with these standards by July 31, 2006, and outlines penalties for non-compliance. The regulation complements existing technical regulations on nutritional labeling and is effective upon publication.The Resolução – RDC nº 359, issued on December 23, 2003, by the Diretoria Colegiada da Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária (ANVISA), aims to improve sanitary control measures in the food sector to protect public health. The resolution emphasizes the importance of aligning national legislation with Mercosur harmonized instruments regarding nutritional labeling of packaged foods. It grants consumers the right to information about the nutritional characteristics and composition of the food they purchase. Key points include: 1. **Scope of Application**: The regulation applies to nutritional labeling of packaged foods sold without the customer present. 2. **Definitions**: It defines terms such as "portion," "home measure," "unit," "fraction," "slice," and "semi-prepared or ready-to-eat food." 3. **Home Measures**: Establishes standard home measures and their conversions to grams or milliliters. 4. **Portion Size Determination**: Outlines a methodology for determining portion sizes based on daily energy intake and food classification. 5. **Tolerance Criteria**: Allows variations of ±30% in portion sizes for individual packages and units of consumption. 6. **Special Cases**: Provides guidelines for semi-prepared, ready-to-eat, concentrated, powdered, dehydrated, and multi-phase foods. 7. **Non-Edible Parts**: States that portion sizes should refer only to edible parts. 8. **Multiple Units**: Differentiates between identical and dissimilar units in packaging and provides specific instructions for each. The resolution mandates that companies must comply with these standards by July 31, 2006, and outlines penalties for non-compliance. The regulation complements existing technical regulations on nutritional labeling and is effective upon publication.