Guatemala | New Provisions for Food Sanitary Registrations

Published on Apr 1, 2025

Carlos Flores, Senior Associate in Guatemala, expert in Regulatory Law, shares this article about the new rules related to the sanitary registration of processed foods in Guatemala. 

 

Since August 5, 2024, the sanitary registration regulations for pre-packaged processed and semi-processed foods have changed significantly with the aim of modernizing and harmonizing sanitary registration procedures. This change materialized with the entry into force of the new Central American Technical Regulation RTCA 67.01.31:20 that completely replaced RTCA 67.01.31:07. This update was approved by Resolution No. 483-2023 of the Council of Ministers of Economic Integration (COMIECO). 

 

Among the most significant changes of the new regulations are: 

 

  • The exclusion of unprocessed foods and those packaged at the time of purchase from the obligation to have a sanitary registration. 

  • The possibility that the holder of a sanitary registration is a foreign person or entity, if they have legal representation in the country.  

  • The option of assigning the same sanitary registration number to several products of the same owner and manufacturer, if they have the same formulation and only vary in their form, presentation, name or brand. 

  • The possibility of marketing assorted packages containing different products, indicating on each package the sanitary registration of each individual product, or registering the assorted package without the individual products having their own sanitary registration, if they are not marketed separately. 

  • Greater flexibility in the renewal and modification of sanitary registrations, allowing a period of six months after expiration to renew them without losing the assigned number, if the product is not marketed during that period. 

 

 

For Guatemalan producers, importers and distributors, this new RTCA represents both a challenge and an opportunity. On the one hand, more detailed documents and requirements must be met and, in some cases, undergo additional analysis. On the other hand, the new RTCA fosters regional competitiveness by harmonizing standards, facilitating cross-border trade in processed foods. The five-year validity for the sanitary registration, aligned with the previous RTCA, continues to be a point of stability for the holders. 

 

With the entry into force of the new RTCA 67.01.31:20, a change in the sanitary regulation of food in Guatemala and the Central American region is marked. Procedures are modernized and safety in marketed food products is also strengthened. So it is important to know these provisions to be in compliance. 

 

The information provided by ARIAS® is presented for informational purposes only. This information is not legal advice and is not intended to create, and does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. Readers should not act upon this information without seeking advice from professional advisers.