COLANSA Position Statement on the Corporate Capture of Professional and Academic Associations in Colombia

20th of May 2026

The Latin American and Caribbean Nutrition and Health Community of Practice (COLANSA) expresses its support for civil society organizations, academic institutions, and health professionals in Colombia who are currently promoting the strengthening of front-of-package (FOP) warning labeling as a public health strategy grounded in scientific evidence and free from conflicts of interest.

FOP is a recommendation endorsed by international health organizations, particularly the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)1 2 3, the World Health Organization (WHO)4 5, and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)6, which have consistently stated that simple, visible, and easy-to-understand warning label systems are among the most effective mechanisms for guaranteeing the right to information and contributing to the prevention of diet-related noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). International evidence has shown that models with stricter criteria and higher standards of health protection achieve better outcomes in terms of consumer understanding, changes in purchasing patterns, and product reformulation7 8.

Several countries across Latin America have demonstrated that FOP enables people to identify products high in sugars, sodium, saturated fats, and calories in a simple and rapid manner, thereby supporting more informed and conscious food choices. At the same time, a growing body of evidence highlights the positive impact of warning labels in reducing children’s and adolescents’ exposure to ultra-processed products, as well as in transforming food environments toward healthier options.

Strengthening FOP is not merely a technical or regulatory discussion; it is a measure to protect fundamental rights: the right to health, the right to information, and the right to adequate food. In a context where NCDs are among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality, weakening or delaying the implementation of FOP policies deepens health inequalities and limits people’s ability to make informed decisions about their diets.

It is important to emphasize that professional, scientific, and academic associations, as well as health, medical, and nutrition professionals, must be guided by the principles of independence, ethical transparency, and the absence of conflicts of interest. Public trust in these institutions depends on their positions being guided by the common good and scientific evidence, rather than by the corporate interests of commercial entities that may be subject to public health regulation.

The various experiences documented throughout the region demonstrate how the ultra-processed food and beverage industry implements corporate capture strategies targeting professional associations, medical societies, professional bodies, and academic institutions with the aim of influencing narratives, technical positions, and regulatory debates. These forms of interference are expressed through funding, sponsorships, institutional partnerships, support for academic events, or participation in decision-making spaces, creating risks for scientific independence and the quality of public policies.

Corporate capture not only affects the quality of technical discussions. These processes of corporate influence also foster an environment of skepticism toward well-established evidence, undermine proven best practices, and weaken regulatory mechanisms that serve as foundations for effective public health action. At the same time, they promote narratives centered on individual responsibility while downplaying the role of food environments and the commercial practices of the ultra-processed food industry. This represents a threat to evidence-based policymaking and to the protection of population rights.

Likewise, we express our concern regarding strategies of intimidation, delegitimization, and pressure directed at researchers, health professionals, civil society representatives, and public policy advocates who promote regulatory measures aimed at protecting the health of the Colombian population.

COLANSA reaffirms its support for Colombia’s academic, scientific, and civil society communities that advocate for strengthening FOP in accordance with the highest international standards. We recognize their efforts in defending the right to health and their commitment to transparent, independent, and public interest-oriented policies.

We call on all stakeholders to ensure that regulatory processes related to front-of-package labeling and healthy eating are conducted on the basis of independent scientific evidence, free from corporate interference, and always prioritizing the protection of public health, particularly that of children and adolescents.

Sincerely,

Elisa Proença da Silva Mendonça
Executive Director

Ariadna Villalobos
Labeling Hub Coordinator

Christian Paul Torres
Interference Hub Coordinator

Note: This document was translated from Spanish into English with the assistance of generative artificial intelligence (ChatGPT, OpenAI, GPT-5.5), based on the original Spanish version published by COLANSA. In the event of any discrepancy in interpretation, the original Spanish version shall prevail.

  1. Organización Panamericana de la Salud. (2016). Modelo de perfil de nutrientes de la Organización Panamericana de la Salud. OPS, https://iris.paho.org/handle/10665.2/18622 ↩︎
  2. Organización Panamericana de la Salud. (2020). El etiquetado frontal como instrumento de política para prevenir enfermedades no transmisibles en la Región de las Américas. OPS. https://iris.paho.org/handle/10665.2/53013 ↩︎
  3. Organización Panamericana de la Salud. (2026). Mejores prácticas de etiquetado frontal de productos alimentarios en la Región de las Américas. OPS. https://iris.paho.org/handle/10665.2/70768 ↩︎
  4. Organización Mundial de la Salud. (2019). Guiding principles and framework manual for front-of-pack labelling for promoting healthy diets. World Health Organization. https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/healthy-diet/guidingprinciples labelling-promoting-healthydiet.pdf ↩︎
  5. World Health Organization . 2021. Implementing nutrition Labelling Policies: A Review of Contextual Factors. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240035089 ↩︎
  6. United Nations Children’s Fund. (2021). Front-of-pack nutrition labelling: A “how-to” guide for countries. UNICEF. https://www.unicef.org/media/118716/file ↩︎
  7. Crosbie, Eric, Gomes, Fabio S., Olvera, Jorge, Rincón-Gallardo Patiño, Stefanie, Hoeper, Stefanie, & Carriedo, Alejandra. (2022). A policy study on front-of-pack nutrition labeling in the Americas: Emerging developments and outcomes. The Lancet Regional Health – Americas, 18, 100400. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lana.2022.100400 ↩︎
  8. Croker H., Packer J., Russell S.J., et al. Front of pack nutritional labelling schemes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of recent evidence relating to objectively measured consumption and purchasing. J Hum Nutr Diet. 2020;33:518–537. doi: 10.1111/jhn.12758 ↩︎