Frontal labeling: from Messi to Tigre Tony, the figures and characters that leave food with black stamps

Foods that have a

for

,

,

,

or

can no longer have extra nutritional information on their packaging.

For example, "

", if it is a yogurt, or phrases like "

" a scientific society.

The octagons are large, black, and front facing.

Difficult to analyze

and not together with the rest of the changes established by the Law on Frontal Food Labeling.

But facing the gondola, there are obvious absences.

The Tiger Tony was the characteristic image for years of the Kellogg's Zucaritas boxes

The box of the

was left without the

, in the 

will not be there forever

, the

said

to 

, the toucan flew from the

 and the

(according to our law, it shouldn't).

potato chips

were left without the image of Lionel Messi and Pringles without his iconic little mustache face.

It is that any package that has a stamp can no longer contain children's characters, cartoons, celebrities, athletes or even pets.

Interactive elements, the delivery or promise of gifts, prizes, stickers, games or QR for digital downloads are also prohibited.

The regulation of "non-characters" is aimed at

Advertising, promotion and sponsorship of those that contain at least one and are aimed at that audience are also prohibited.

Lays packages with black seals and without the image of Lionel Messi on the shelves of a Buenos Aires supermarket.

Photo Andrés D'Elia

Among so many marketing disappearances, there are characters very installed in the smallest Argentine consumers who, surprisingly, do stay (at least sometimes).

And there is a great doubt regarding a

protagonist who delights all ages with his sweetness.

Bye Messi, Tony and Chester

The world's most famous French fries no longer have Lio Messi on their packages in Argentina.

It is that they carry two black seals:

and

.

This "extremely expensive" visual change for a brand that invested in such a truncated contract already appears in the official Lays account.

From the same manufacturer, Pepsico, the

ran out of Chester, their popular cheetah.

The same great lack is present in the box of sugary cereals that the endearing Tiger Tony can no longer have.

What is the impact?

It didn't take "any" time to find out.

Only in February did the adaptation period for large food items expire.

On the consumer side, the eventual impact of the ban on characters on consumption habits (or on health) has not yet been measured.

Neither did the stamps.

And on the side of compliance with the law, from the Ministry of Health of the Nation they had anticipated to

that a detailed report will be known at the end of the year.

Between the extensions, the mid-year term that SMEs have and the previous stock that coexists with the lots that are already labeled, it is still difficult to confirm how many personalities and celebrities have actually disappeared and will disappear.

November 20 is the

to find out.

What is known is that

with the loss of their figures.

"The company has always identified with Argentine consumers through its brands and its characters,

(the disappearance of Tigre Tony), both in connection with families in the territory and in its positioning with its business partners, as is surely happening with other brands in the country," they told

from Kellogg's Argentina.

This does not mean that they resist.

They abided by the norm.

Yes, like many other companies.

In fact, Kellogg's also lost the little face with the mustache in the Pringles tubes.

The Pringles and their iconic character "Julius Pringles" that will no longer be seen on potato chip tubes.

"We comply with the regulations in the countries in which we operate, promoting healthy eating, while we seek to continue promoting trade and relationship of our brands in Argentina," they added.

A few days before the sweet Salta Week, from the Argentine Inter-American Heart Foundation (FIC) they tell

that although in the "pilot" test in which in the summer they checked the presence of the stamps in supermarkets, they did not pay particular attention to the characters that they should no longer be, they did see "several breaches in the advertising axis".

And now, above all, in candies and Easter eggs.

"An example is

, which violates the law on several axes:

instead of being printed on the packaging (this allows them to be detached at the time of sale) and they are not located on the main face of the product, as established", they mark.

The surprise inside the egg violates article 9 of the law and article 10. Remember: a product with at least one warning label cannot be advertised or have incentives (such as surprises) that appeal to children and adolescents.

Just as the law is clear, when it comes to chocolates, there is

for uncertainty.

What happens, for example, with the 

?

(or with chocolate rabbits or lipstick-shaped lollipops).

As much as they have microseals (the alternative when the container is very small), isn't their little shape an incentive for younger consumers?

"We understand it as aimed at that public and it should be modified. But it would be necessary for there to be more specifications in the resolution of the Anmat, to avoid different interpretations", they close from FIC.

A dinosaur and an astronaut

Among the characters that were predicted to disappear was the iconic dinosaur from the Danonino children's yogurt.

Stays.

This yogurt has no seals (neither does Serenito, Actimel Kids and Mi Primer Yogurísimo, from the same company, Danone), so there will continue to be a Jurassic presence on the shelves.

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A publication shared by Danonino Argentina (@danoninoarg)

The formula of all yogurts under the Danonino brand

.

The reformulation or nutritional improvement of a product -which is what the law wanted, for brands to produce healthier foods- consists of the analysis and development of optimizations in the nutrient matrix of a food.

A change in the nutritional profile of a product can mean replacing one ingredient with another, reducing or eliminating a specific ingredient that leads to the product having less sugar, fat and/or calories, or also the addition of new micro and macronutrients that make that the food recipe is better.

Clarín

spoke with Nestlé to find out what path another undisputed icon of children's breakfasts and snacks took.

And the fate of him is curious.

"Quicky will continue to be present thanks to the development of

, the new variety, which does not have stamps," they said from the company.

products

it is no longer there.

In relation to the law, to which they adapted so much that they allowed the non-extinction of the animal, they believe "that it is still too early to know how the Argentine consumer will behave in the face of its implementation."

In the case of

, also from Nestlé, they clarify that

. "

Before the mandatory stamps that had removed them, those little drawings disappeared due to racist questions in several countries.

What about the 

Space Captain

? 

"

"

, they tell

from the factory in Quilmes of the "rich and cheap"

alfajores .

The legendary Space Captain alfajor and his characteristic character: it is not yet known what will happen to the astronaut.

Difficult to find but a cult object for those who once bitten it, this alfajor is one step away from its

, the character that gives it its name, take off and disappear from the packaging.

Actually, it may happen.

But it can't be confirmed yet.

"We are an SME so we have until the middle of the year to adapt. We are waiting for the results of the laboratory. Let's see if we will have a seal. Until then, we cannot say if the Captain is going."

MG

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