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Loading ...Pesticide Residue Levels in Brazilian Food
Wednesday, April 15th, 2009Which fresh food sold in Brazil has been found most likely to present “irregular” pesticide residues — levels higher than those permitted by regulation, or even residues of pesticides banned or not authorized for use on the foodstuff it is found on? Peppers. In 2008 more than 64% of the pepper samples analyzed by the […]
New Pharmaceutical Labeling Rules Proposed in Brazil
Friday, April 10th, 2009Brazil’s National Sanitary Vigilance Agency (ANVISA) is proposing changes in package labeling rules for pharmaceuticals sold in that country (as set out in ANVISA Resolution RDC 333/03) with a view to making pack labels more informative to consumers. For example, the proposals released for public consultation (until 11 May) would make medicines with a sedative […]
Brazil Plans to Ban or Restrict 12 Pesticides
Thursday, April 2nd, 2009Brazilian health officials are concerned. In 2008 Brazil became the largest consumer of pesticides in the world, surpassing the US with a market of more than US$7 billion. Yet many of the pesticides now manufactured in, or imported into, Brazil and widely used there have been banned or severely restricted for health and environmental reasons […]
Federal Prosecutor Pressures Fast-Food Chains to Suspend Offering Toys with Meals
Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009The Federal Public Ministry (MPF) in São Paulo (PRSP) yesterday called for the Burger King, McDonald’s and Bob’s fast food chains to suspend the sale of promotional toys in their restaurants. He gave the companies ten days to meet the “recommendation.” The MPF also called for the National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) to take a […]
Fiocruz Gets Green Light to Produce AIDS Medicine Under Compulsory License
Wednesday, January 28th, 2009Brazil’s National Sanitary Vigilance Agency (ANVISA) has authorized the Pharmaceutical Technology Institute (“Farmanguinhos“) of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (“Fiocruz“) to begin producing the antiretriviral drug Efavirenz. About 80,000 Brazilian HIV-positive patients currently receive the drug through the National Program on Sexually-Transmitted Diseases (STDs) and AIDS. To refresh memories, Efavirenz is the AIDS drug for which […]
New Brazilian Rules on Pharmaceutical Marketing
Wednesday, December 24th, 2008Brazil’s Health Minister, José Gomes Temporão, and the head of the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa), Dirceu Raposo, recently announced new rules on pharmaceutical marketing in that country to replace less ambitious ones adopted in 2000. The new rules aim at substantially changing how medicines are promoted in Latin America’s largest pharma market, and may […]
Brazil Proceeds with Compulsory Licensing of Antiretroviral Drug / Brasil continua com a licença compulsória de medicamento antiretroviral
Monday, October 6th, 2008Temas Observation: All developing nations have had the clear right to resort to compulsory licensing of pharmaceuticals since the adoption of the Doha Declaration by the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001. Brazil has long reserved this right under its own laws, although previously it has been hesitant to actually use the power, preferring instead […]
Toward a Cosmetovigilance System for Latin America?
Tuesday, September 30th, 2008A key focus of the recent Tenth Meeting of Sanitary Authorities of the Americas in the Cosmetics, Personal Hygiene and Perfume Sector (Reunión de Autoridades Sanitarias de las Américas del Sector de Higiene Personal, Perfumería y Cosméticos – RASA) in São Paulo and the need for cosmetovigilance in the region. What is RASA and what […]
Brazil: Government & Industry Discuss Changes in Processed Foods
Monday, August 11th, 2008Synopsis in English: Brazil’s Health Minister, José Gomes Temporão, has launched an open and public dialog with Brazil’s food industry about lowering the salt, sugar and trans-fat levels of the processed foods that they offer to the Brazilian market. Temporão revealed that a Ministry study suggests that up to 260,000 Brazilian deaths every year could […]
Update: International Health Regulations
Monday, August 4th, 2008Synopsis in English: About a year ago I noted the coming into effect of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) new International Health Regulations (IHR), and explained their significance for dealing with a cross-border, trans-national or global health crisis — a breakout or pandemic of infectious disease, contamination in an internationally traded foodstuff, a bioterrorism incident, […]