Sanitary regulation for food and beverages – Nicaragua

By: Roxana Bermudez

The National Health Regulation Authority (ARNS) is in charge of guaranteeing compliance with the Central American Technical Regulation (RTCA) 67.01.31:07, whose regulation aims to define the processes and requirements to carry out registrations classified as food, these processes They are carried out in the food department, which is attached to the ANRS.

According to RTCA, food is defined as “any processed, semi-processed and unprocessed substance intended for human consumption, including beverages, chewing gum and any other substance used in the production, preparation or treatment thereof, but It does not include cosmetics, tobacco or products used as medicines.”

For food to be marketed in the Nicaraguan market, it must have a health registration with the authority; documentary compliance and process analysis will guarantee the granting of a health registration number.

Health registration requirements:

1. Registration of power to carry out registrations and of the distributor / importer¹
2. Receipt of payment of fees²
3. Application form (fill out health registration application to register online)
4. Copy of distributor's health license (current)
5. Certificate of free sale of origin or provenance, duly apostilled and with its translation
6. Technical sheet of the product to be registered
7. Labels or label projects³
8. Submit 3 samples of 500 grams each for solids and 3 liters for liquids, depending on the product to be registered.

The file and samples are presented to the food department, the procedure is evaluated by the authority and verifies compliance with the requirements in accordance with current standards and regulations. Once approved, as a sign of this, the authority issues a health registration certificate. , whose validity is 5 years from the date of issue.

It is important to mention that those products from a manufacturer that have the same formula and that vary only in their form, presentation, name or brand, are assigned a single registration number.

Any modification or changes made after registration must be notified to the ANRS, presenting the respective requirements depending on the update, such as payment of the fee established by the authority.

Compliance with the processes before the authority allows us to guarantee the Nicaraguan population food that guarantees safety during its production, storage and distribution, throughout its supply chain, minimizing the risk to health.

Notes:

¹The distributor must have a registered and current health license.

²Tariffs according to ministerial resolution No.347-2023.

³According to technical standard for labeling prepackaged foods.