Overview of the different labeling and marking requirements, including any restrictive advertising or labeling practices and where to get more information.
Last Published: 7/12/2019

Supreme Decree 26510 issued in 2003 established food product labeling requirements.  Products normally retain their original labels, but they must have complementary labeling showing the importer or distributor’s name and address, taxpayer identification number (NIT), country of origin sanitary registration number, and a translation of ingredients.

Supreme Decree 26510 of February 2002 sets labeling requirements for prepackaged foods.  Among other data, labels must contain the identification number of the importer or distributor (Numero de Identidad Tributaria, NIT), sanitary registration number, and the Spanish translation of the ingredients in the product.  In general, the products retain their original labels, but must have additional labeling as required.

There are more specific regulations regarding the required components of labeling and packaging, the most important of which are:

 •     Food products: Emergency Rule No.1/78. Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Supreme Decree 26510 of 21/02/02.
 •     Products packaged and unpackaged: Emergency Rule No.2/78. Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism.
 •     Wines, wine alcohol and other end products of wine production, for example: pomace, grape seeds, lees, etc.: Supreme Decree 24777 of 30/07/97, Decree No. 25569 of 15/11/99.
 •     Cigarette packs, packages, and crates; boxes of cigars (cigars), and snuff pipe bags: Supreme Decree 27053 of 26/V/03.


Labeling products to comply with the Act to Promote Healthy Eating

On December 2, 2015, Bolivia’s Plurinational Legislative Assembly approved Bill 222, the “Act to Promote Healthy Eating.”  The law encourages healthy eating habits and exercise among Bolivians and imposes additional regulations of marketing and labeling of processed foods and nonalcoholic beverages.  Among other things the law states that all processed foods and nonalcoholic beverages must now be labelled with a chart that lists the levels of saturated fats, added sugars, and sodium.  The law also introduced a color-coded labelling system, by which consumers will easily be able to determine whether a product is “very high in,”  “contains a moderate amount of” or is “low in” saturated fats, added sugars and/or sodium.  (The Ministry will annually review the quantitative parameters for high, medium and low content.  After publishing the parameters, food producers will have 12 months to begin complying with the updated labeling requirements).

Processed food packaging must also display one of the following messages: “consume iodized salt, sugar and fats with moderation;”  “the consumption of fruits and vegetables improves your health;” “perform at least 30 minutes of daily physical activity;” or “drink ten glasses of water per day.”  Products containing trans fats must display an additional warning.  The law specifies that the warning must contain the words “contains trans fats” inside a red hexagon.  Foods and nonalcoholic beverages in their natural state such as raw sugar, salt, and oil are excluded from these labeling requirements. The packaging of products for human consumption must list all ingredients and nutritional information.
 

Labeling of Bioengineered Products

On July 15, 2015, the Bolivian government issued Supreme Decree 2452 mandating that all food which includes genetically modified organisms (GMOs) must be labeled with a symbol and a warning that it contains transgenic food.  Article Four of the decree states: “All foods that are produced, manufactured, imported and commercialized inside the country which contain or are derived from GMOs are obligated to show a notice that they were transformed.”  The symbol that needs to be shown in the food’s package should be a red triangle with the letters GMO and the text genetically modified organism.  Below the label should have this legend: “This product contains genetically modified materials.”

Labelling of processed foods started on December 31, 2017, and primary produced foods (crops) have a period to comply with the labeling process from January 2, 2017, until December 31, 2019.

SENASAG is in charge of controlling national and imported food, and the Health Ministry is in charge of controlling products destined for children younger than two years and groups in risk.

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