Summary:
This technical regulation establishes requirements for labeling packaged food and food raw material. It aims to provide the consumer accurate information about the product.
Description:
This resolution establishes the technical regulation for labeling packaged foods for human consumption, requiring labels to provide clear, accurate, and sufficient information. The main goal is to prevent misleading or confusing details, empowering consumers to make informed choices.
The resolution applies to all packaged foods, hospitality items, and food raw materials, both domestic and imported, that are marketed within the national territory (Article 2).
Furthermore, it specifies requirements for back-of-pack labeling, including ingredient lists, country of origin, expiration date, and more (Articles 4 and 5). The regulation also outlines key principles:
- Food products must not be described or presented falsely or deceptively, or likely to create an erroneous impression (Article 4).
- Food products cannot contain illustrations or other graphic representations that allude to medicinal, preventive, healing, nutritional, or unique properties that may cause false appreciation of the true nature, origin, composition, or food quality of the product (Article 4).
Moreover, it establishes that the National Institute for Food and Drug Surveillance (Invima, by its Spanish acronym) and the Territorial Health Directorates are responsible for surveillance and control of the provisions included in the regulation (Article 16).
The labeling regulation itself is based on Colombia’s international obligations, particularly under the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade. It also references Decision 562 of the Andean Community, which sets guidelines for the development, adoption, and application of technical regulations in Member Countries. Article 9, paragraph 3, section (d) states that technical regulations must establish the necessary technical specifications for packaging appropriate to the product’s use, as well as the information that must be included on the product, such as its content or measurement.