Snack addicts? New labeling did not change consumption habits of Mexicans

June
9, 2021

3 min read

A recent study by Kantar, a brand consulting and data analysis company, revealed that the new labeling of products considered ‘harmful’ has not changed the consumption habits of Mexicans .

Almost half a year ago, the modification to the Official Mexican Standard (NOM) 051 came into force, which obliges companies to place information stamps on packaging. These black labels warn about excess calories, sugar, carbohydrates, sodium and other ingredients, with the aim of fighting obesity and promoting healthy eating among the population of Mexico.

Fabián Ghirardelly , Kantar’s manager in Mexico , considers that the measure has had a very low impact on the country, because despite being implemented on a massive scale, there are no alternatives to replace these products.

“We do not see an impact from the labeling in Mexico. We have already been six months and we are not seeing a significant impact, of course, that we can associate with the stamps in the change of purchasing habits or household consumption, “ said Ghirardelly at a press conference. “It was a massive initiative. Perhaps so massive that it ended up having little impact, because there is no possibility of replacement, “he added.

In addition to the new labeling, the authorities prohibited the use of cartoons, athletes, celebrities, pets and other characters that encourage the consumption of certain products. For this reason, iconic and endearing figures such as Osito Bimbo , Chester Cheetos , Tigre Toño and Pancho Pantera , among others, disappeared from the packaging.

Kantar’s Brand Footprint 2021 report revealed that last year, despite the black labels, Coca Cola was the brand most acquired by Mexicans, with a presence in 97.7% of the country’s homes. In second place was Bimbo with a penetration of 99.3%, followed by Lala ( 94.7%), Nutri Leche ( 76.8%) and Alpura (66.8%).

They also found that in 2020 Mexicans increased their consumption of brands such as Red Cola , Galletas Marías, and Pétalo items. This confirms the trend of the population to migrate to cheaper brands, given the decrease in income derived from the Covid-19 pandemic.