Mexican food packaging in the era of new consumer protection regulations

This article examines how food packaging communicates health and naturalness to Mexican consumers through design features, employing a historically-informed cultural framework. The research focuses on industrialized products made with dried corn flour, specifically tortillas and tostadas, analyzing how these packages utilize shape, color, images, and symbols to construct perceptions of health. The study investigates three brands: Sannísimo, produced by multinational foodprocessing firm Bimbo-Barcel, and two smaller brands, Señor Cactus and Sanopal, all marketed as ‘healthy’ product lines of Mexican staple foods. The analysis reveals how manufacturers strategically deploy national Mexican icons and notions of indigeneity to signify locality, authenticity, and sustainability, despite selling industrialized products. Food producers exploit environmental discourse to position their products as morally righteous choices while simultaneously linking them to wellness ideologies through intentional design strategies. This branding approach attempts to create what regulators term ‘health halos’, impressions that the foods are the best option in terms of nutrition and wellness. This research situates itself within the contemporary regulatory landscape where the Mexican state has implemented Front-of-Packaging Regulations, specifically NOM-051, to combat deceptive health marketing. These regulations establish that products displaying front-of-pack warning labels cannot include health claims on package fronts, representing a significant restriction aimed at protecting consumer interests. By analyzing how companies deal with these regulations, this study contributes to understanding the complex relationship between food marketing, public health policy, and consumer protection in Mexico. The findings illuminate tensions between corporate branding practices and state efforts to ensure transparent nutritional communication.