Overview of the different labeling and marking requirements, including any restrictive advertising or labeling practices and where to get more information.
Last Published: 7/24/2019

The Belize Bureau of Standards (http://www.bbs.gov.bz) is mandated to establish and monitor standards requirements for labeling, packaging, metrology, and consumer protection.  All locally manufactured goods and imported goods must adhere to some minimum standards for products to be legally traded and sold on the Belize market.

There are three technical regulations concerning the labelling of food: general principles, pre-packaged foods, and brewery products, all of which have been developed through CARICOM's standards process.  Labeling requirements on all processed food products must be fulfilled in English and details are to include: product name, description, manufacturer’s name and address, country of origin, storage instructions, net weight/volume, quantity, list of contents, nutritional information, date of production, expiration date, and identification lot.  Pre-packaged processed food products labelled in English in accordance with the laws or standards in force in Canada, CARICOM, the European Union, and the United States are deemed to comply with Belizean labelling standards. Other technical regulations related to labelling are provided for in product specific legislation including labelling requirements for some dairy products; as well as certain alcohol and tobacco products.  Labelling of cosmetics and pharmaceutical products is regulated by the Ministry of Health.

The Belize Bureau of Standards (BBS) website http://www.bbs.gov.bz contains legislation and documents describing the nature of information and specifications required for products to be labeled, packaged, and sold legally in the marketplace.  It should be noted that enforcement of standards is generally lax as the BBS's ability to verify compliance with standards is limited. Where possible, conformity checks are carried out after imports have cleared customs and directly at local distribution or consumer stores.

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