The impacts on food purchases and tax revenues of a tax based on Chile’s nutrient profiling model

Background In June 2016, Chile implemented the Law of Food Labelling and Advertising, which included a mandatory front-of-pack warning labels on food and beverages high in added sugar, saturated fat, sodium or energy density, restrictions on child-directed marketing and on the promotion and sales of these products in schools. The regulation does not include taxes although Chile had implemented a tiered tax on SSBs two years before this law was implemented. Therefore, the objective of the study was to simulate the impact of taxing food and beverages based on the cutoff’s points for warning labels on purchases and revenues. Methods We derived price elasticities using the linear approximation of the almost ideal demand system for six groups of labeled food and beverages (with a warning label based on the regulation) and unlabeled (with no warning label): 1) unlabeled beverages, 2) labeled beverages, 3) unlabeled cereal based products, 4) labeled cereal based products, 5) labeled meat and fish and 6) labeled sweet snacks and desserts. The study used data on household food beverage purchases from the Kantar WorldPanel Chile and Euromonitor sales to adjust the Kantar elasticity results to the national average. We estimated revenues under three tax scenarios for all labeled food and beverages: 10%, 20%, 30% of the final price excluding taxes. Results Except for labeled fish and meat, all food and beverage groups were price elastic. After accounting for a reduction in consumption after the taxes, economic and population growth, revenues for all groups could reach between 457 million USD to 1.3 billion USD. These results based on the much larger tax base of these labeled “high in added sugar, salt or saturated fat or energy density” foods and beverages is much larger. Conclusion This fiscal package could be implemented in countries with warning labels to enhance health and welfare. The Chilean warning label front-of-the-package system provides an important guide for countries considering policies to reduce diet-related non communicable diseases, including obesity. The fiscal policy impact alone, as shown here for Chile, will be highly impactful in reducing ultra-processed food intake and generating revenues

Front-of-Pack Labeling in Chile: Effects on Employment, Real Wages, and Firms’ Profits after Three Years of Its Implementation

This study evaluates the impact of Chile’s innovative law on Food Labeling and Advertising, enacted in June 2016, on employment and real wages and profit margins for the food and beverage manufacturing sectors in the 2016–2019 period, using unique company-specific monthly data from Chile’s tax collection agency (measuring aggregate employment, real wages, average size of firms, and gross profit margins of the food and beverage manufacturing sector). Interrupted-time series analyses (ITSA) on administrative data from tax-paying firms was used and compared to synthetic control groups of sectors not affected by the regulations. ITSA results show no effect on aggregate employment nor on the average size of the firms, while they show negligible effects on real wages and gross margin of profits (as proportion of total sales), after the first two stages of the implementation (36 months), despite significant decreases in consumption in certain categories (sugar-sweetened beverages, breakfast cereals, etc.). Despite the large declines found in purchases of unhealthy foods, employment did not change and impacts on other economic outcomes were small. Though Chile’s law, is peculiar there is no reason to believe that if similar regulations were adopted elsewhere, they would have different results

The antibacterial, anti-biofilm, anti-inflammatory and virulence inhibition properties of Portuguese honeys

In Portugal, beekeeping activity has a significant weight among livestock production. The antimicrobial activities of Portuguese honeys have been reported, but the anti-biofilm formation and anti-virulence abilities have not been investigated. The main goal of this work was to study the impact of three monofloral honeys (citrus, lavender and strawberry tree) honeys on adherence of Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, as well as the influence of the same honeys on virulence using Galleria mellonella as a model. In addition, the general physico-chemical characterization of these honeys and the microbial quality were also performed. The anti-inflammatory activity was also estimated by analyzing the activity of the enzymes hyaluronidase and lipoxygenase. The tested honeys complied with European legislation and no microbial contamination was observed. Of all the honeys at 12.5 and 25%, w/v the citrus honey caused the highest inhibitory activity against P. aeruginosa. Strawberry tree honey at 25% w/v was able to significantly inhibit the MRSA strains. Anti-biofilm formation and anti-inflammatory activities were observed. The different honeys impaired the virulence of S. aureus and MRSA strains. The Portuguese honeys were capable of combating the tested bacterial pathogens not only by inhibiting their growth but also by affecting important pathogenicity properties, such as adherence and virulence

Prescription and dispensation of medicines for hipothyroid patientsin Córdoba city, Argentina

Se analizaron las características de prescripción y dispensación de medicamentos en una población de pacientes hipotiroideos, así como el conocimiento de los mismos sobre su terapia. Se trabajó con un procedimiento normalizado analizando 948 prescripciones médicas en 42 farmacias comunitarias de Córdoba (Argentina). Los laboratorios autorizados para elaborar medicamentos con levotiroxina fueron siete, en 12 concentraciones distintas (desde 25 a 300 μg). En este estudio una sola marca abarcó el 59 % de las prescripciones médicas. El 85 % de los usuarios fueron mujeres, principalmente entre 41-60 años. En cuanto al uso del medicamento el 78 % manifestó tomar el mismo una vez al día y el 42 % lo utiliza desde hace más de 5 años. El 70 % eran pacientes habituales de las farmacias y el 9 % realizó una consulta al farmacéutico respecto al uso del medicamento. Los estudios de utilización de medicamentos permiten evaluar las enfermedades en un contexto comunitario, donde el farmacéutico puede aportar datos epidemiológicos que contribuyan al conocimiento, prevención y control de las patologías.Characteristics of prescription, dispensation of medicines for hipothyroid patients and the knowledge of their therapy were analysed. We worked with a normalized procedure, analyzing 948 medical prescription in 42 community pharmacies of Córdoba (Argentina). Seven laboratories are authorized to make medicines with levotiroxine, with concentrations of 25-300 μg in 12 different forms, but only one brand included 59 % of the medical prescription 85 % of the users were women, mainly between the ages of 41-60 years. 78 % took levotiroxine once a day and 42 % had been using it for more than 5 years. 9 % realized an additional consultation to the pharmacist, and 70 % were frecuent patients of the pharmacies. The studies of utilization of medicines allow to evaluation of diseases in a community context, where the pharmacist could offer epidemiological information that may contribute to the knowledge, prevention and control of the diseases.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

Pharmacovigilance system: Knowledge degree of population, professionals and health carreer students in the Province of Cordoba, Argentina

Se encuestó a miembros del equipo de salud, estudiantes universitarios y pacientes, para observar el grado de conocimiento que poseían respecto a la Farmacovigilancia, por medio de encuestas anónimas. Los farmacéuticos, los médicos y los estudiantes de la carrera de Farmacia, aunque no en su totalidad, tuvieron un mejor nivel de conocimiento del Sistema Nacional de Farmacovigilancia (SNFV); sin embargo otros profesionales de la Salud presentaron serias dudas al respecto. Los pacientes mostraron un alto nivel de desinformación, aún cuando son quienes utilizan los medicamentos y deberían participar permanentemente en el SNFV. Estos resultados plantean la necesidad de reforzar acciones para promocionar la Farmacovigilancia, de modo de posibilitar la participación activa de toda la sociedad en su conjunto, sobre la base de la información y el compromiso responsable de velar por la seguridad del uso de todos los productos farmacéuticos.Health workers, university students and patients were submitted to an anonymous survey to know the degree of knowledge that they had with regard to pharmacovigilance. Pharmacists, physicians and pharmacy students, though not in their entirety, had a better level of knowledge of the pharmacovigilance national system of Argentina. However, other professionals belonging to the health system presented serious gaps in their knowledge. The patients showed a poor level of information, even when the are the users of medicines, and should be active sharers in the pharmacovigilance national system. These results show the need to reinforce methods to promote pharmacovigilance, to make it possible for the active participation of the whole society, on the basis of the information and responsible commitment to ensure the safety of the use of all the pharmaceutical products.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

Evaluation of antibiotics as a methodological procedure to inhibit free-living and biofilm bacteria in marine zooplankton culture

There is a problem with keeping culture medium completely or partially free from bacteria. The use of prokaryotic metabolic inhibitors, such as antibiotics, is suggested as an alternative solution, although such substances should not harm non-target organisms. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of antibiotic treatments in inhibiting free-living and biofilm bacteria and their half-life in artificial marine environment using the copepod Acartia tonsa as bioindicador of non-harmful antibiotic combinations. Regarding to results, the application of 0.025 g L-1 penicillin G potassium + 0.08 g L-1 streptomycin sulphate + 0.04 g L-1 neomycin sulphate showed great potential for use in marine cultures and scientific experiments without lethal effects to non-target organisms. The effect of this combination starts within the first six hours of exposure and reduces up to 93 % the bacterial density, but the half-life is short, requiring replacement. No adverse changes in water quality were observed within 168 hours of exposure. As a conclusion, we can infer that this treatment was an effective procedure for zooplankton cultures and scientific experiments with the aim of measuring the role of free-living and biofilm in the marine community

The IARC perspective on the effects of policies on reducing alcohol consumption

Alcohol policy interventions, including those that increase alcohol taxes, raise the drinking and purchase age, reduce days or hours of sale, and impose strong marketing bans, reduce alcohol consumption

The impacts on food purchases and tax revenues of a tax based on Chile’s nutrient profiling model

Background In June 2016, Chile implemented the Law of Food Labelling and Advertising, which included a mandatory front-of-pack warning labels on food and beverages high in added sugar, saturated fat, sodium or energy density, restrictions on child-directed marketing and on the promotion and sales of these products in schools. The regulation does not include taxes although Chile had implemented a tiered tax on SSBs two years before this law was implemented. Therefore, the objective of the study was to simulate the impact of taxing food and beverages based on the cutoff’s points for warning labels on purchases and revenues. Methods We derived price elasticities using the linear approximation of the almost ideal demand system for six groups of labeled food and beverages (with a warning label based on the regulation) and unlabeled (with no warning label): 1) unlabeled beverages, 2) labeled beverages, 3) unlabeled cereal based products, 4) labeled cereal based products, 5) labeled meat and fish and 6) labeled sweet snacks and desserts. The study used data on household food beverage purchases from the Kantar WorldPanel Chile and Euromonitor sales to adjust the Kantar elasticity results to the national average. We estimated revenues under three tax scenarios for all labeled food and beverages: 10%, 20%, 30% of the final price excluding taxes. Results Except for labeled fish and meat, all food and beverage groups were price elastic. After accounting for a reduction in consumption after the taxes, economic and population growth, revenues for all groups could reach between 457 million USD to 1.3 billion USD. These results based on the much larger tax base of these labeled “high in added sugar, salt or saturated fat or energy density” foods and beverages is much larger. Conclusion This fiscal package could be implemented in countries with warning labels to enhance health and welfare. The Chilean warning label front-of-the-package system provides an important guide for countries considering policies to reduce diet-related non communicable diseases, including obesity. The fiscal policy impact alone, as shown here for Chile, will be highly impactful in reducing ultra-processed food intake and generating revenues. </jats:sec

Own, cross price elasticities and income elasticities for food and beverages 2015–2017 (QUAIDS model).

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