Preparación de embarque y/o de la carga3

Egg Products

Farm process, production unit and / or hatchery and exporter

Preparation of shipment and / or cargo

Arrival at the border

Detections of inconsistencies in goods

Preparation of shipment and / or Load

a) Packaging

Primary Packaging: It is the container aimed at containing a product and which is in contact with it.
Secondary Packaging: It is the container used to contain primary packaging.
Packaging Materials: They are all the materials, procedures and methods used to condition, present, handle, store, preserve and transport goods.

Egg products should be packaged in containers made with safe and resistant materials for the different process steps, so that they do not react with the product or alter its physical, chemical, sensory and microbiological characteristics.

External packaging materials should be new, resistant and offering appropriate protection for packages to prevent their external deterioration, as well as facilitating handling, storage and distribution.

Egg products shall be transported and stored in optimum conditions for preservation and safety in the entire logistics chain, from its point of origin to its final destination. Therefore, physical presentation, arrangement, packaging, external packaging and materials used are of utmost importance to prevent issues when entering into Mexico.

Eggs or egg products shall be transported at the right temperature according to the type of goods and their presentation (dried, fresh-refrigerated or frozen). For this reason, it is key to have compact, quality packaging materials which offer maximum strength under humid conditions.

Usually, cardboard packaging materials are most commonly used for this type of goods, keeping in mind that it is 100% recyclable.

High resistance to humidity makes compact cardboard to be suitable for storage and transportation of goods under refrigeration or freezing.

Production and marketing of egg derivatives has made progress recently due to the evolution of the food industry which increasingly demands raw materials and ingredients meeting its needs.

Manufacturing, marketing and use of egg products meets community regulations on food hygiene, product quality, labeling and destination.

Once the package is open, they shall be used immediately and never be left at room temperature.

Dried or dehydrated eggs

i. Bulk and Wholesale

Egg products sold bulk or for wholesale (dried or dehydrated eggs) are placed in plastic bags contained in cardboard boxes or in bags protecting them against shocks, jerks or tipping over. Cardboard boxes are sealed, adhesive tape is used and a fully identifying information label is placed on the outside. Box resistance should be capable of withstanding the stacking height without deformations. On the other hand, bags are closed and the label is placed on the outside with fully identifying information. Stable (dehydrated or dried) products can be kept at room temperature.

Captura de Pantalla 2020-09-09 a la(s) 1

ii. Final Consumer and Retail

Egg (dried or dehydrated) products aimed at retail or final consumers are placed in food-grade bags or plastic cans contained in cardboard boxes protecting against shocks, jerks or tipping over. Stable (dehydrated or dried) products can be kept at room temperature.

Frozen liquid egg

i. Bulk and Wholesale

Egg products to be sold in bulk or for wholesale (liquid frozen eggs) are placed in plastic bags contained in cardboard boxes or in plastic cans of approximately 14 kgs. (30.8 lbs.) protecting from shocks, jerks or tipping over. Boxes are sealed, adhesive tape is used and a fully identifying information label is placed on the outside. Box resistance should be capable of withstanding the stacking height without deformations. On the other hand, plastic cans are closed and the label is placed on the outside with fully identifying information. Storage temperature of this product shall be kept between 0-4 °C (32-39 °F).

ii. Final Consumer and Retail

Egg products to be sold to final consumers or at retail (liquid frozen eggs) are placed in food-grade plastic bags contained in cardboard boxes protecting from shocks, jerks or tipping over.

Processed egg, example: Omelet

i. Bulk and Wholesale

Egg products to be sold in bulk or wholesale (processed egg products, omelet) are placed in plastic bags contained in cardboard boxes protecting from shocks, jerks tipping over. Boxes are sealed, adhesive tape is used and a fully identifying information label is placed on the outside. Box resistance should be capable of withstanding the stacking height without deformations.

ii. Final Consumer and Retail

Egg products to be sold to final consumers/retail (processed egg products, for example: omelet) are placed in food-grade plastic bags contained in cardboard boxes protecting from shocks, jerks or tipping over.

It must be taken into account that for all egg products, table eggs, to be sold to end-consumers or at retail, boxes are sealed, adhesive tape is used and a fully identifying information label is placed on the outside in accordance to NOM-051-SCFI/SSA1-2010 Mexican Official Standard. Box resistance should be capable of withstanding the stacking height without deformations.

Examples of Correct and Incorrect Loads

Correct Loads:

Incorrects:

Pallets

It is important to use pallets or stacked products which facilitates loading and unloading of goods. If pallets are made of debarked wood, they shall bear the official stamp indicating they were subjected to treatment against pests using methyl-bromide (MB) fumigation with a total 24-hour exposure, heat treatment (HT) by dielectric heating (DH) in accordance in accordance to NOM-144-SEMARNAT-2017 Mexican Standard –which sets forth the phytosanitary measures to reduce the risk of introduction and/or spreading of quarantine pests associated to international trade mobilization of wood packaging material, made of raw wood used in international trade).

Regulations on International Trade Wood Packaging Material:

http://www.fao.org/3/a-mb160e.pdf

NOM-144-SEMARNAT-2017 Mexican Official Standard:

https://www.dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?codigo=5514060&fecha=22/02/2018

Mark on wooden pallets:

b) Labeling

i. Bulk and Wholesale

It is necessary that labels affixed to the boxes of goods contain the information requested by Mexican authority.

The suggestion is to place the label on one end of the box with the information below; it shall be clearly visible, and it shall allow for its full identification.

Spanish language label with the following information:

Exporter (company name and address).
Importer (Company name, address and Federal Tax Payer ID).
Lot (s).
Country of Origin and country of provenance.
Destination country.
Product name and description.
Quantity/content in Kg.
Plant number and seal.
Packing date.
Expiration date.
Number of export health certificate.
Preservation phrases (keep refrigerated).
Production or laying date.

In accordance with Article 89 of the Federal Animal Health Law the following information must also be included the following information:

Origin.
Provenance.
Destination.
Lot.
Date of production or date of slaughter.
Date of packaging, process or elaboration.
Expiration date or best before date.

It is important to consider the information established by the Official Mexican Standard NOM-159-SSA1-1996 in point number 10 regarding labeling:

10.1 The denomination of the product shall include the treatment it was subjected to.

10.2 If the identification of the lot corresponds to the Expiration or Best By Date, the legend “Lot” and “Expiration Date or Best By Date” shall be indicated before it, as the case may be.

10.4 In the case of egg products, the expiration date shall be indicated, except for frozen ones, which shall bear the best by date.

10.5 Pre-packaged products not intended for end consumers:

10.5.1 Labels affixed on products shall be attached in such a way that they remain available at the time of use.

10.5.2 The information referred to in this Standard shall be in Spanish language, regardless of the fact it may appear in other languages. When the information is in other languages, it shall also be included in Spanish, at least with the same font size and in a similar visible manner.

10.5.3 Ingredients shall be listed in decreasing quantitative order (m/m).

10.5.4 Domestic products or from abroad shall include the legend indicating the country of origin of the products, for example: "Made in..."; "Product of..."; "Manufactured in...", and other similar ones, followed by the name of the Country of origin of the product.

10.5.5 They shall indicate the corresponding date in accordance to what is set forth in items 10.3 and 10.4 of this Standard, which shall comply with the following:

10.5.5.1 The manufacturer shall declare it on the package or label, and it shall consist at least of:

10.5.5.1.1 The day and month for products that last maximum three months; or

10.5.5.1.2 The month and year for products which last more than three months.

10.5.5.2 The date shall appear after a legend indicating if said date refers to the expiration date or the best by date.

10.5.5.2.1 In the case of expiration date, it shall be indicated including before it one of the following legends, their abbreviations or similar legends: “Expiration Date ___”, “Expiration ____”, “Exp. Dat.____”.

10.5.5.2.2 In the case of best by date, it shall be indicated writing before it one of the following legends, their abbreviation or similar legends: “Preferably Consume Before ____”, “Pref. Cons. Before ___”.

10.5.5.3 Words indicated in numbers 10.5.5.2.1 and 10.5.5.2.2 shall be accompanied by the date itself.

10.5.6 Every container shall have indicated or marked in any way the lot identification to which it belongs, with a coded indication allowing for its traceability.

10.5.7 The lot identification including the product manufacturer shall be marked in an indelible and permanent manner.

10.5.8 The lot code shall include before it any of the following indications: “LOT”, “Lot”, “L”, “Lote”, “lote”, “lot”.

10.5.9 If the lot identification corresponds to the expiration date, or the best by date, the legends “Lot” and “Expiration Date or Best By Date” shall be included before it as the case may be.

10.6 Legends.

Products subject matter of this Standard shall, as the case may be, include the following legends or an equivalent legend:

10.6.2 For products requiring refrigeration or freezing, the legends shall be included, as the case may be: “Keep or Maintain under Refrigeration or Frozen”.

10.6.3 For frozen products, include: “Once Thawed-out, it Shall not Be Re-Frozen and Be Used Immediately”.

10.6.4 For dehydrated products: “Keep in a Fresh and Dry Place”, “Once Rehydrated, Consume it Entirely”.

10.6.5 For pasteurized and hygienically packaged products: “Once the Package is Open, it shall be Store at Refrigeration Temperature, for no more than 48 hours” or “Once the Package is Open, it shall be Kept under Refrigeration, for no more than 48 hours”.

10.6.6 Legends above shall be indicated clearly and with highlighted characters, so that they are visible for the consumer.

Information on labels shall match the information on the export health certificate

It will be verified that 100% of the boxes are well identified according to the labels or stamps that contain the information regarding the shipment.

Example of labels to sell bulk or wholesale egg products (whole frozen eggs with citric acid): data are nor real, they are for illustrative purposes only. Example of a whole frozen egg with citric acid.

ii. To Sell to Final Consumer or at Retail

It is important and necessary that if the products are intended for sale to the final consumer (retail) you must go to an authorized verification unit to review and guarantee that your labeling is correct, the verification unit is the only competent entity to carry out said activity.

The modification Labeling Standard NOM-051-SCFI/SSA1- Compliance with the labeling regulation is mandatory for all products marketed in Mexico. Beginning October 1st, 2020, all prepackaged non-alcoholic foods and beverages entering the country must comply with the modifications to the labeling regulation to be admitted at the point of entry.

At the point of entry, the importer will need to provide a Proof of Conformity (Dictamen de cumplimiento) to the customs agent. These documents can be emitted only by an accredited verification unit (Unidad de Verificación Acreditada (before “UVA”) now Inspection Unit. The Proof of Conformity will require an on-site verification visit.

It is important to mention that compliance with the labeling regulations is not certifiable and accreditation by a verification unit is voluntary EXCEPT for importers, in which case the verification document is mandatory to allow the product in.

It is necessary that as of October 1st, 2020, the updated Proof of Conformity with NOM-051-SCFI/SSA1-2010, along with the other documents, be delivered to the customs broker at the time of export. It is possible to make a commitment letter so that the labels can be conditioned with adhesives under the supervision of a Verification Unit and thus import the product, if the compliance report was not available by October 1.

NOM-051-SCFI/SSA1-2010 labelling information may be translated from origin or made after the goods have been entered into national territory, after customs release, but before sale to the final consumer. So, it is recommended to hire a Verification Unit.

It is necessary that the information or labels affixed to Ready-to-Eat product packages, have the information that the Mexican health authority requires in accordance with NOM-051-SCFI/SSA1-2010 Mexican Standard.

The suggestion is to place the label in the front or on one end of the box with the information below; it shall be clearly visible, and it shall allow for its full identification –the word eggs and the brand name shall be the same size.

Information on labels shall match the information on the export health certificate and the provisions of article 89 of the Federal Animal Health Law that apply in accordance with the corresponding HRZ.

It will be verified that 100% of the boxes are well identified according to the labels or stamps that contain the information regarding the shipment.

In the sanitary certificate for export, the lot numbers of the products must be presented and in another document in which the rest of the information is related to the sanitary certificate for export, such as: lot, production date, packing date, process or preparation and expiration date or preferential consumption, the above applies to the group of goods (food preparations).

Name or common denomination of product.
Egg Grade.
Brand.
Importer/responsible for the product name and address.
Manufacturer’s data.
List of ingredients in descending order (for ingredients 5% and up in the composition, water, colorants, additives, etc.).
Use or cooking instructions.
Contents, net weight and drained mass (as the case may be).
Production or laying date.
Expiration date.
Country of origin using the legend: “hecho en” (“made in”) or “producto originario de” (“product from”).
Legend: "manténgase en refrigeración" (“keep refrigerated”) or "consérvese en congelación" (“keep frozen”) and “manténgase a - grados° C” (“keep at - ° C”) as the case may be.
Lot (s).

Example of labels to sell eggs products to end-consumers or at retail, the data is not real, it is used as an example only:

Nutritional declaration:

Nutrition labelling declaration is mandatory on the label of prepackaged products, and is separate from the specifications of the nutrimental frontal labeling (Data shown are not real, is just an example)

Front Labeling System

5 potential seals are to be included when the regulation’s profiles are exceeded. The seals size, grouping, order, and location, varies depending on the product presentation. There are seals with numbers instead of with legends (excess calories, sugars, saturated fats, trans fats, sodium) for labels smaller than 40 cm2. The specific text content, proportions and formatting of the seals are specified in the standard.
If your product contains caffeine and/or sweeteners, the warning legends must be displayed in the right location and proportion.

Warning seals

Ingredientes: Yema de huevo, azúcares

añadidos (azúcar). Contiene Huevo

Agitar bien antes de cada uso.

NOTE: It is important to consider size and other requirements regarding the Front Labeling System, Warning legends, endorsements, healthy declarations and use of cartoon characters on products intended for kids. You can review more details in the download documents section.

If you need to know more about the details regarding NOM-051-SCFI/SSA1-2010 Mexican Standard and the correct labeling of products for sale to end consumers or wholesale, please follow this link:

http://www.economia-noms.gob.mx/normas/noms/2010/051scfissa1mod.pdf

If you need to know more about the details regarding NOM-051-SCFI/SSA1-2010 Mexican Standard modification on march 27 ,2020 and the correct labeling of products for sale to end consumers or wholesale, please follow this link:

https://www.dof.gob.mx/2020/SEECO/NOM_051.pdf

What is an Authorized Verification Unit (Before known as UVA)? Know Inspection Unit

Authorized Verification Units (UVAs) are private companies approved by the Ministry of Economy. They are entitled to issue opinions and letters for domestic and imported products; and to grant services to the users to help them with the correct filling of the commercial label in accordance with the Mexican Official Standards.

Among the services they provide, we find the following:

Conformity Letter: Document endorsing the compliance with the label of origin of imported or domestic products. It allows to proof of compliance in accordance with the applicable Mexican Official Standard (NOM). This document is valid for the applicant to prove compliance with the NOM before the authority requesting it –PROFECO, DGN, ADUANA, COFEPRIS.

Compliance Opinion: Letter endorsing compliance only with lot, shipping order or load number, indicated on the pedimento (customs entry document) and the invoice. This facilitates the release of goods and their transportation to the address indicated on the application for labeling.

The objective of this opinion is to help importation of products, even if it is not fully compliant with the corresponding NOM, for them to be relabeled in Mexico before selling it.

If you are interested in contacting an UVA to get these services, you may do it on your own or click on the following link:

https://www.snice.gob.mx/cs/avi/snice/etiquetado.normas2022.html

Basic data for Compliance with NOM-051

Stage 1 is divided into three phases:

Phase 1: The seals of the critical nutrients that they contain must be met (excess sugar, fat, sodium and calories). Also, with the use of cautionary legends. This phase runs from October 1 to November 30, 2020.
Phase 2: All products that have a seal or legend and are aimed at children may not use advertising with characters that induce purchase. Covers until March 2021.
Phase 3: If these are products that do not have the designation of origin, they will no longer be able to use the legend “type”, for example, Manchego type cheese, then it must be indicated that it is an “imitation product”.

Stage 2:

It focuses on calculating the amount of sodium and sugar to prevent some products from falling into excess again. If this happens, the calculation must be carried out again to know if it should have a seal or legend. It covers from October 2023 to September 2025.

Stage 3:

In October 2025 it will be the last change and indicates that every product in its total composition must have the nutrient content calculated. Example: a juice composed of some fruit and sugar is added, it must add up to what the fruit provides.

Important to take into account the following:

Keep in mind the compliance dates during which complete compliance with the standard will be requested. You can comply with the standard in its entirety or do it phase by phase.
Use the services of the verification units who are authorized to endorse the commercial information on the label.
Once the labeling has been verified and endorsed by the Verification Unit, the product label can be printed.
The standard indicates that there must be a commitment to real and clean labeling, since they must declare in a transparent and real way what the products contain.
If the labeling and dates indicated in the standard are not fully complied with, the products may be immobilized by the authority until they are relabeled and subject to a fine.