Phase02
Labeling
a) Bulk and wholesale
It is necessary that the information or labels affixed to the boxes include the information required by the Mexican health authority.
In accordance with NOM- 030-ZOO-1995 point 4.7. It is suggested that on a side of the box or combo, show the following information printed or on labels indicated below; In the case of labels, they must be placed in such a way that their complete identification is allowed, all this information must be in the language of the country of origin:
Label from the plant in the language of the country of origin:
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Generic product name.
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Net weight in Kg.
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Plant name, number and stamp.
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Packing date.
Label in Spanish-Language Information:
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Country of origin.
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Plant’s name, allocated authorization number and address. (Verify that the address matches as it is registered in the SICPA list).
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Product name
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Legend: "manténgase en refrigeración" (“keep refrigerated”) or "manténgase en congelación" (“keep frozen”) and “manténgase a - grados° C” (“keep at - ° C”) as the case may be.
In accordance with Article 89 of the Federal Animal Health Law the following information must also be included in the same label in Spanish-Language as mentioned above:
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Origin.
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Provenance.
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Destination.
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Lot.
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Date of production or date of slaughter
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Date of packaging, process or elaboration.
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Expiration date or best before date.
Additionally must indicate the importer's name, address and USDA inspection stamp.
The information on the labels must be the same according to the information on the export health certificate and the sections of Art. 89 of the Federal Animal Health Law that apply in accordance with the corresponding HRZ.
Example of how an original label from the plant should look (data shown are not real, used only for demonstration, USDA Inspection Legend can only be applied at the establishment where the product was produced or processed under USDA supervision):
Aside from the original label from the plant in English, it is recommended that a label with all the information in Spanish is made available (including data of the original label from the plant), making sure that information on both labels match (data shown are not real, used only for demonstration USDA Inspection Legend can only be applied at the establishment where the product was produced or processed under USDA supervision):
b) For direct sale to end consumer or at retail
It is important to know that Modification Labeling Standard NOM-051-SCFI/SSA1-2010 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 “UVA”). 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.
Imported products are allowed to use adhesives to comply with the labeling requirements indefinitely.
NOM-051-SCFI/SSA1-2010 labelling information may be translated from source 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 to NOM-051-SCFI/SSA1-2010 Mexican Standard, namely:
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Name or common denomination of product.
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Brand name.
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Importer/responsible for the product name and address.
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Manufacturer’s data.
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List of ingredients in descending order (for ingredients 5% and up in the composition, water, colorants, additives, etc.)
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Nutritional declaration (energy, total fat, protein, sodium, etc.).
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Supplementary nutritional information (vitamins and minerals).
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Use or cooking instructions.
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Contents, net weight and drained mass (as the case may be).
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Expiration date.
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Country of origin using the legend: “hecho en” (“made in”) or “producto originario de” (“product from”).
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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.
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Lot(s).
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 information on the labels must be the same according to the information on the export health certificate and the sections of Art. 89 of the Federal Animal Health Law that apply in accordance with the corresponding HRZ.
Example of labels to sell to end consumers or at retail (data shown are not real, used only for demonstration):
Nutritional declaration:
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The nutrition facts must be presented in kcal and (kJ) per 100 g or 100 mL. Additionally, it can be declared by portion.
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Additionally, the energy content must also be expressed per package.
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If your product needs to be reconstituted or prepared, the nutritional declaration must be presented according to the resulting product after following the use instructions specified on the product package.
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New considerations to calculate nutriments.
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Energy content, saturated fats, trans fats, added sugars and sodium must be presented in bold.
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Minimum font size must be 1.5 mm height.
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Carbohydrates must be declared as “Hidratos de carbono disponibles”.
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Any additional information must be presented at the bottom/end and for vitamins and minerals in the case of percentage of VNR must be done per serving.
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The amount of trans fats naturally present in dairy and meat ingredients should not be included on the nutritional declaration.
The nutrition statement on the label of prepackaged products is mandatory, and independent of the specifications of nutrition frontal labelling (data shown are not real, used only for demonstration):
Front Labeling System
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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.
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If your product contains caffeine and/or sweeteners, the warning legends must be displayed in the right location and proportion.
Warning seals
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.
To access this procedure, you must meet the following requirements:
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Be registered in the registry of importers with a minimum seniority of two years.
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Having imported into the country a value equivalent in national currency to $100,000.00 dollars, in one or several operations at least in the twelve months prior to the start date of the procedure.
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 in the authorized verification units.
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:
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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.
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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.
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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:
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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.
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Use the services of the verification units who are authorized to endorse the commercial information on the label.
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Once the labeling has been verified and endorsed by the Verification Unit, the product label can be printed.
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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.
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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.
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Regarding the changes in the poultry besides update links, is needed to add in phase 2- Labeling- compliance opinion.
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Be registered in the registry of importers with a minimum seniority of two years.
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Having imported into the country a value equivalent in national currency to $100,000.00 dollars, in one or several operations at least in the twelve months prior to the start date of the procedure.
