Why did Mexican snacks get less salty?
Product reformulation in non-alcoholic beverages and foods after the implementation of front-of-pack warning labels in Mexico
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Mexico reduced artificial sweeteners in yogurt, while Chile and Peru increased them.
Most countries use warning labels to push sugar out—but Mexico’s policy flagged artificial sweeteners too, forcing companies to remove them instead of replacing sugar with chemicals, which is the opposite of what happened elsewhere.
Practical Takeaways
Check your pantry: If you buy bread, snacks, or yogurt, look for warning labels—your country might be next to adopt this policy, and companies may already be reformulating.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Mexico reduced artificial sweeteners in yogurt, while Chile and Peru increased them.
Most countries use warning labels to push sugar out—but Mexico’s policy flagged artificial sweeteners too, forcing companies to remove them instead of replacing sugar with chemicals, which is the opposite of what happened elsewhere.
Practical Takeaways
Check your pantry: If you buy bread, snacks, or yogurt, look for warning labels—your country might be next to adopt this policy, and companies may already be reformulating.
Publication
Journal
PLOS Medicine
Year
2025
Authors
Juan Carlos Salgado, Lilia S. Pedraza, Alejandra Contreras-Manzano, Tania C. Aburto, Lizbeth Tolentino-Mayo, Simon Barquera
Related Content
Claims (7)
After Mexico put warning labels on unhealthy foods, companies started making bread, snacks, and instant meals with less salt—so much less that in some cases, over 60% fewer products were labeled as too salty.
After Mexico put warning labels on sugary drinks, companies changed their recipes to make the drinks just under the sugar and calorie limits—so they wouldn’t get the scary label—and this happened mostly to drinks that were barely over the limit before.
After Mexico started putting warning labels on unhealthy food packages, companies made bigger and more frequent changes to make their products healthier—much more than they did just after announcing the plan but before the labels were actually on shelves. This suggests the real push came from the rules being enforced, not just from talking about them.
When states require warning labels on foods with dangerous chemicals, food companies start changing their recipes to avoid those labels — because they don’t want customers to think their products are unsafe.
After Mexico started putting warning labels on unhealthy foods, many companies changed their recipes to make their products healthier—so they wouldn’t have to put the scary labels on them anymore.