Creating Mexico Front-of-Package Warning Seals and Statements | ESHA Research

On March 27, 2020, Mexico made several amendments to its food labeling regulations (Norma Oficial Mexicana NOM-051-SCFI/SSA1-2010). These revisions included an overhaul of the Front-of-Package requirements — how they look, and what information is conveyed.

This blog will go over the regulations outlined in Phase 1 for the FOP Warning Seals and Statements, and illustrate how to use Genesis R&D to comply with the regulations.

Note: Phase 2 begins October 1, 2023, and you can learn more on our Phase 2 blog post.

Front of Pack Warning Seals

Products containing excess Calories (Energy), Sugars, Saturated Fat, Trans Fat, and/or Sodium must display the associated warning seal on the product packaging. The warning seals must be placed in the top right corner on the front of the product package.

In Genesis R&D, when your product exceeds a threshold amount, the seal(s) will appear on your View Label screen.

Calories

Your product must display the EXCESO CALORÍAS seal if it exceeds the following threshold for Calories:

• > 275 kcal total per 100g of solid product
• > 70 kcal total or > 10 kcal added sugars per 100 mL of liquid product

If either of these criteria is met, per the nutrient analysis of your Recipe, the EXCESO CALORÍAS seal will automatically appear on your View Label screen.

Sugars

Your product must display the EXCESO AZÚCARES seal if it exceeds the following threshold for Added Sugars:

• >10% total kcal from added sugars per 100g or solid or 100 mL of liquid product (beverages with < 10 kcal added sugars are exempt and do not require a warning symbol.)

If this criterion is met, per the nutrient analysis of your Recipe, the EXCESO AZÚCARES seal will automatically appear on your View Label screen.

Fats

All ingredients that are considered added fat (such as oils, lard, butter) must be designated as such at the ingredient level. When these ingredients are used in a recipe, the program will display the saturated fat and trans fat warning symbols, if appropriate. Fat that occurs naturally in milk and meat is not considered added fat unless a designated added fat is also present in the recipe.

To do so:

1. Open the ingredient
2. Navigate to the Designations screen
3. Check “Is Fat”

Saturated Fat

Your product must display the EXCESO GRASAS SATURADAS seal if it exceeds the following threshold for Saturated Fat:

• ≥10% total kcal from saturated fats

If your recipe contains at least one ingredient designated as “Is Fat” and the recipe’s total Saturated Fat amount exceeds the threshold, then the EXCESO GRASAS SATURADAS seal will appear on your View Label screen.

Trans Fat

Your product must display the EXCESO GRASA TRANS seal if it exceeds the following threshold for Trans Fat:

• ≥1% total kcal from trans fats

If your recipe contains at least one ingredient designated as “Is Fat” and the recipe’s total Trans Fat amount exceeds the threshold, then the EXCESO GRASA TRANS icon will appear on your View Label screen.

Sodium

Your product must display the EXCESO SODIO icon if it exceeds either of the following thresholds for Sodium:

• ≥350 mg per 100g of solid product or 100 mL of liquid product
• ≥45 mg per 100 mL of calorie-free beverages

If either of these criteria is met, per the nutrient analysis of your Recipe, the EXCESO SODIO icon will automatically appear on your View Label screen.

Display for More Than One Seal

If your product requires more than one warning seal, Genesis R&D will display them in the layout required by the regulations. The layout and order of the seals are predetermined by the regulations and cannot be modified. Here are some examples:

Display for Small Packages

Products with a primary display area of ≤ 5 cm² must include one sign with a number that indicates how many nutrients exceed the recommended threshold. Watch this tutorial for instructions on changing the seal display.

Cautionary Warning Statements

In order to discourage the consumption of sweeteners or caffeine by children, products containing caffeine and/or sweeteners must display the associated rectangular-shaped warning statement. The warning statements should be placed on the front of the product packaging in the top right corner and should be placed below any warning seals.

Contains Caffeine Warning

Products that contain caffeine must include the warning “CONTIENE CAFEÍNA — EVITAR EN NIÑOS” (“Contains caffeine — children should avoid”).

In Genesis R&D, the statement will automatically appear on the View Label screen if your recipe reports >0 caffeine in the “Caffeine” nutrient field. Watch this tutorial for instructions on how to modify or hide the statement.

Contains Sweeteners Warning

Products that contain sweeteners (“substances different from mono- and disaccharides that provide sweet flavor to products”) must display the warning “CONTIENE EDULCORANTES, NO RECOMENDABLE EN NIÑOS” (“Contains sweeteners, not recommended for children”).

In Genesis R&D, you will need to make sure all sweetener ingredients are designated as such at the Ingredient level for this symbol to appear.

To do so:

1. Open the Ingredient
2. Navigate to the Designations screen
3. Check “Is Sweetener”

Tutorial: Creating Front-of-Package Nutrition Labels for Mexico

To watch the process of displaying FOP seals in action, watch our detailed Mexico compliance webinar: