ABSTRACT
Latin America is one of the regions with more diverse and asymmetrical legislation among constituting countries. In the case of Latin American countries, Brazil has been the first country in South America to establish and enforce a consistent, science-based legislation on functional foods, as well as directives on health and functional claims for food products, and its legislation has been revised and updated several times. In Brazil, depending on their characteristics, products containing probiotics can be classified as foods, food supplements, or even drugs. In relation to the rules of Resolution 18/99, it is necessary to understand that the legislation applicable to probiotics in Brazil entails the description of a functional or health label claim representing the efficacy of the probiotic strain. In Uruguay, for the regulation of probiotics, the Sanitary Evaluation Division of the Food Department of the Ministry of Public Health utilizes the guidelines provided by Brazil or Canada, lacking a regulation of its own in this field.
