Product Labeling /Packaging, in Mexico requires that all information contained on a product or its labels, containers and packages must be in Spanish. The same requirement applies to product advertisements, manuals and guarantees.
All consumer goods must be labeled in accordance with requirements set out in NOM-050-SCFI-1994, unless they are covered by another, more specific NOM. A consumer good is defined as one that is intended to be sold to a final user and not to be used as an input to the production of another good or service.
In addition to the generic requirements, several classes of products are the subject of more specific regulations. These include food and beverages, clothing and textiles, leather products, toys and cosmetics. These regulations are cumulative with the generic rules, and some of them repeat the generic provisions. Exporters should always consult the complete NOM in consultation with the importer before designing product labels.
Mexico’s labelling regulations, like technical Normas Oficiales Mexicanas (NOMs), official standards, are enforced both at the border and at the store shelf. Profeco, a division of Secofi , is responsible for store-shelf inspection as well as approval of labels submitted for inspection. The Secretaría de Hacienda y Crédito Público (Hacienda), Secretariat of Finance and Public Credit, is responsible for the customs service, which enforces the regulations at the border.
The regulations provide for the creation of Unidades de Verificación, verification units, under the authority of Secofi and Profeco, Consumer Protection Office. These are private companies that verify compliance with the regulations for a fee that is set by the government. These units are operated mainly by companies also accredited to issue Certificates of Compliance with technical NOMs.
