Rice Consumption in Colombia

April 22, 2021

This week, the National Association of Colombian Entrepreneurs (ANDI) reached out to the US Rice Producers Association for support in its fight to protect the current nutritional labeling regulations for rice and protest the proposed adjustment to the recommended portion size of rice in labeling.

Colombia notified the OMC (World Trade Organization) and other trading partners, the interest of issuing the resolution which "establishes the technical regulation on the nutritional labeling requirements for packaged foods for human consumption must comply with" in Colombia and proposes to reduce the recommended portion of rice from 50 grams to 30 grams.

Colombia's economy is the third-largest in Latin America and has continued to grow in recent years due to sound economic policies, recent reforms, and a proliferation of free trade agreements (FTAs). With an annual rice consumption of around 40 kg per capita, according to the Colombian government, reducing the recommended portion would be equivalent to having a per capita consumption of 11 kg. Such a drastic change would put the consumers and the Colombian and U.S. rice sector at great risk. The USRPA supported the efforts of ANDI through letters that outlined the nutritional benefits of including rice in the everyday diet.

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