International Trade Regulation Database

Select a Country: Argentina Australia Brazil Brunei Canada Chile China Codex Colombia Costa Rica Dominican Republic European Union Guatemala Honduras Hong Kong India Israel Jamaica Japan Kenya Malaysia Mexico New Zealand Panama Peru Philippines Russia Saudi Arabia Singapore South Africa South Korea Taiwan Thailand The Bahamas Trinidad and Tobago Turkey United Arab Emirates Venezuela Vietnam

Category: All Categories ----------- What's New Proposed and Pending Requirements Standards of Identity Ingredient Allowances Packaging and Labeling Requirements Documentation Requirements Trademark Laws Other Import Requirements In-Country Resources

What's New

There have been no major recent developments relevant to the confectionery industry.

Proposed and Pending Requirements

There currently is no information available.

Standards of Identity

Current Standards

The National Administration of Medicine, Food, and Medical Technology (Administration Nacional de Medicamentos, Alimentos y Technicos Médica) of the Ministry of Health (Ministerio de Salud) is the regulatory authority for food standards and the Argentinean Food Code (Código Alimentario Argentino) provides the following product definitions and compositional requirements:

Product Definitions

Chocolate

Fondant Chocolate
Fondant chocolate is sugar paste with an appropriate, well mixed consistency prepared from sucrose, glucose, and water syrup.  Tartaric acid may also be included.

Fruit Chocolate
Fruit chocolate is produced from chocolate, sucrose, glucose, fruits, and pectin.  Vanilla, cinnamon, permitted colorants, and scents may also be added.

Fudge
Fudge is defined as an intermediate chocolate between candy and fondants.  It may be prepared with sugars, milk, butter, cream, cocoa, edible oils/fats, edible albumin, and gelatin.  Nuts may also be included if desired.  

American Mint
American mint is chocolate prepared with sugar, beaten albumin, and mint syrup or other permitted flavorings.

Pralines
Pralines are chocolate confectionery made with fruits, almonds, hazelnuts, or peanuts with the addition of cocoa and sugar. 

Sugar Confectionery

Sugar Confectionery
Sugar confectionery is defined as the generic type of candy produced with nutritive sugars.  Such candies can have different consistencies, forms, sizes, and may contain the following ingredients:

• Milk and its derivatives
• Vegetable juices and pulps
• Sweets
• Cakes
• Whole or pieces of dried/candied fruit
• Cereal flakes
• Eggs, egg yolk, or albumin
• Alcohol: Including liqueurs or alcoholic drinks
• Edible oils and fats: This may include hydrogenated or non-hydrogenated oils and fats.  Any sugar confectionery product containing milk flavoring must not contain hydrogenated fats.
• Salt

Candies are classified according to their consistencies as follows:

• Hard Candy - Hard candy is defined as a fragile structured product made by a highly concentrated mass of amorphous.  Similar products include:
  • Acid hard candy: Acid hard candy is made from the general ingredients listed above with the addition of organic acids, artificial scents, and permitted colorants.
  • Hard candy with fruits: Hard candy with fruits is made from the general ingredients listed above with fruit juice and/or pulp, with or without allowed artificial scents, and with or without allowed colorants.
  • Stuffed hard candy: Stuffed hard candy is made of a hard external coating with an internal substance of variable consistency.  When paste or gum bases are used for ingredients, they should be consequently labeled.
• Soft Candy - Soft candy is made from a plastic base and includes the following type of products:
  • Soft milk candy: Soft milk candy is produced from general sugar confectionery ingredients listed above with the addition of whole milk, reduced fat milk, and/or its derivatives.  Artificial scents, milk, and/or cream flavor are not permitted.
• Chewable Candy - Chewable candy is made from a semi-elastic plastic base and includes the following type of product:
  • Flavored chewable candy: Flavored chewable candy is produced from general sugar confectionery ingredients listed above with additional permitted thickeners and stabilizers such as gelatin, dextrin, starch, and gums. 

Other Confectionery Products

Garapiñadas and Apiñadas
Garapiñadas or apiñadas are produced from almonds and glazed with a layer of syrup or sugar of variable thickness.  Almond ingredients may be peeled and toasted if desired.

Peladilla
Peladilla is produced from almonds that are sugar coated.  If peanuts are used, the product would be referred to as Peanut Peladilla.  Without prior approval, such products must be comprised of no more than 5% starch or dextrin additives by weight of the product.

Marzipan
Marzipan is produced by boiling finely ground or peeled sweet almonds with/without glazed fruits and permitted nutritive sweeteners.  Such sweeteners can be substituted partially or totally by honey and permitted additives.  Marzipan can be produced into bars, cakes, or any other regular geometrical form.  Such products may also contain a chocolate or sugar covering.

Nougat
Nougat is produced by cooking a mix of nutritive sweeteners with the following ingredients into a soft, semi-soft, or hard consistency:

• Almonds
• Hazelnuts
• Peanuts
• Chestnuts (isolated or mixed)
• Albumin
• Gelatin (or its mix)
• Glazed fruits
• Inflated cereals or cereal flakes
• Egg yolk
• Fruit seeds
• Whole milk: In fluid or powder form

Nougat is then produced into the following types of products:

• Alicante Nougat: Alicante nougat is produced from toasted, peeled, whole, or chopped almonds, with a hard consistency.  There are three classes of this nougat including:

• Jijona Nougat: Jijona nougat is produced from toasted, peeled, whole, or chopped almonds, with a soft consistency.  There are three classes of this nougat including:

• Cádiz Nougat: Cádiz nougat is produced from ground or toasted almonds, as well as glazed fruits.  After processed, it is covered with a beaten yolk cover and sugar.  It must be comprised of no higher than 20% almonds by weight.
• Snow Type Nougat: Snow type nougat is produced with peeled, toasted, or ground almonds with white sugar and glucose syrup.  It should have a white color and a soft consistency.
• Glazed Fruit Nougat: Glazed fruit nougat is produced from peanuts, nuts, hazelnuts, almonds, or chestnuts (isolated or mixed) and should be comprised of a minimum of 7% glazed fruit by weight of the product.
• Nieve Nougat: Nieve nougat is produced from nougat, glazed fruit, and permitted fillings.
• Nougat with Yolk: Nougat with yolk is produced with one or more type of nuts listed under general nougat ingredients (see above) and contain at least 2% yolk powder or liquid yolk by weight of the product.
• Provence Nougat: Provence nougat is made by cooking sweet almonds or sweet hazelnuts with sugar and honey syrup.  Anise may also be used as an ingredient.  It may be produced into a cake, bar, or other geometric form.  Provence nougat should also be dark brown in color with a hard consistency.
• Montelimar Nougat: Montelimar nougat is produced by cooking a mix of nutritive sweeteners with toasted sweet almonds (whole or in fractions), pistachios, pralines, albumin (or its mix), and edible gelatin.  Such nougat can be produced into cake, bar, or other regular geometric forms and should have a semi-soft consistency.
• Nougatines: Nougatines are produced from sugar, honey, and almond paste covered by a layer of melted cocoa.
• Panforte: Panforte is nougat prepared with honey, toasted almonds, hazelnuts, lemon, chocolate, cinnamon, pepper, and semolina.

Peanut candy (Peanut brittle and others)
Peanut candy is produced from peeled peanuts, sugar, glucose, milk, and scents.

Compositional Requirements

The following products maintain compositional requirements:

Cocoa Products

Product Definitions

Roasted and Shelled Cocoa Beans
Roasted and shelled cocoa beans contain a maximum of 1.75% shell with no traceable germ, tegument, or other impurities.

Cocoa Mass
Cocoa Mass (otherwise referred to as cocoa liquor or cocoa paste) is obtained by the mechanical disintegration of roasted/non-roasted shelled cocoa beans (as defined above) without removing or adding any of its components. 

Alkalinized Cocoa Mass
Alkalinized cocoa mass is cocoa mass (as defined above) that has been treated with sufficient alkalis to neutralize the natural acidity of the cocoa.  The product should contain no more than 14% ash on a non-fat dry matter basis.

Cocoa Cake
Cocoa cake is pressed cocoa mass that has undergone partial fat extraction and should contain more than 8.0% cocoa fat and up to 6.0% cocoa shell or cocoa germ on a fat-free dry matter basis.

Defatted or De-buttered Cocoa Cake
Defatted or de-buttered cocoa cake is cocoa cake (as described above) in which almost all of the fat matter has been extracted through the use of permitted solvents.  It should not contain any residue solvents, and any content found in the end-food product must be de-odorized.       

Compositional Requirements

The proposed standards require that cocoa mass and cocoa cake products maintain the following compositional requirements measured on a dry non-fat matter basis:

De-Fatted Cocoa Powder
Defatted or de-buttered cocoa powder is obtained by de-fatting cocoa cake (as described above) through pressurization or through permitted solvents and processing it into powder.

Sweet Cocoa Powder
Sweet cocoa powder is the homogenous mix of powdered cocoa with a maximum 68% sugar content*.

Compositional Requirements

The proposed standards require that cocoa powder products maintain the following compositional requirements:

Chocolate

Product Definitions

Chocolate
Chocolate (sweet/dark) is the homogenous product obtained by the processing of cocoa and sugars¹.  A cocoa butter equivalent (CBE) may also be used.

Chocolate Fondant
Chocolate Fondant is a soft form of chocolate (as defined above) consisting of at least 30% cocoa butter with a low melting point.

Chocolate A La Taza
Chocolate a la Taza is chocolate (as defined above) containing a maximum of 8% m/m flour and/or starch from wheat, corn, or rice.

Milk Chocolate
Milk Chocolate is chocolate (as defined above) with milk², butter, cream, and/or milk fat.  It may also include a CBE.

White Chocolate
White chocolate is a homogenous product obtained by processing cocoa butter, sugars, milk, butter, cream, and milk fat.  It may also include a CBE.

Chocolate Coating
Chocolate coating is chocolate (as defined above) intended to cover chocolates, confectionery, pastries, biscuits, or ice cream products.

Chocolate Mixtures
Chocolate mixtures are obtained through the mixture of chocolate with other ingredients including almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, roasted and shelled peanuts, cereals, candied fruit, honey, or other authorized food products.  Such mixtures should comply with the following conditions:

• The type of chocolate used should comply with the corresponding standard requirements (Please refer to the other chocolate product definitions for further information).
• The quantity of chocolate in each unit should be greater than 60.0% of the total product weight.
• Non-chocolate ingredients should contain a proportion of chocolate that is greater than 8.0% of the total product weight, with the exception of puffed cereals which may contain a proportion no less than 5.0% of the total product weight. 

Filled Chocolate
Filled chocolate maintains the quantitative and qualitative requirements as other chocolate products with other forms of permitted interior contents.  It can be produced in blocks, bars, tablets, or other forms and it must conform to the following requirements:

• The type of chocolate used should comply with the corresponding standard requirements (Please refer to the other chocolate product definitions for further information).
• The quantity of chocolate in each unit should be greater than 40.0% of the total product weight.

¹Includes sucrose, dextrose, inverted sugars, glucose/fructose syrup, or their mixtures.
²Includes condensed, evaporated, powdered, whole, partially skimmed, and skimmed varieties.

Composition Requirements

The proposed standards require that chocolate products maintain the following compositional requirements:

Ingredient Allowances

Food Additives

The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries jointly regulate food safety in Argentina under the Argentina Food Code (Código Alimentario Argentino). General food additive regulations can be found in Chapter 18, while food additive regulations specific to candies, chocolate, and chewing gum can be found in Chapter 10. The Code is amended periodically throughout the year; current proposals can be found on this page.

For imports, Argentina may also accept products that comply with Codex Alimentarius standards, or products from countries with food control levels comparable to Argentina’s, at the discretion of the National Health Authority.

The National Administration of Drugs, Food and Medical Technology (ANMAT), under the Ministry of Health, can provide further information on food safety regulation in Argentina.

MERCOSUR’s regulations, upon which many Argentinian food safety regulations are based, can be referenced on this site.

Contaminant Restrictions

The Argentinean Food Code maintains contaminant tolerances for the following confectionery products:

Proposed Contaminant Standards

Under the proposed standards of identity for cocoa and chocolate-based products to be incorporated into the Argentinean Food Code under WTO Notification G/TBT/N/ARG/230, selective cocoa and chocolate products will maintain the following contaminant maximum tolerances:

A date of implementation for these standards has yet to be announced, and further information on implementation will be provided once available. 

(Sources:The National Food Commission, Argentinian Food Code, National Food Institute)

Packaging and Labeling Requirements

Packaging and Container Regulations

According to the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, Argentina does not have packaging or container size requirements or preferences.  Additionally, there are no required waste disposal laws or recycling regulations.

Labeling Requirements

General Labeling Requirements

The National Service of Agricultural Food Health and Quality (Servicio Nacional de Sanidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria – SENASA) is the regulatory authority for food labeling and the Argentinian Food Code (Código Alimentario Argentino - CAA) outlines labeling requirements for all confectionery products.  The Food Code requires that all imported confectionery products include the following information on their labels:

• Name and brand of the product
• Country of origin
• List of ingredients: Including separate additives and ingredient lists in descending order by weight
• Net weight or measure
• Lot number
• Expiration date
• Name and address of importer and exporter
• The importer’s National Register of Establishment (RNE) Number: Please refer to the Other Import Requirements section for further details
• The importer’s National Register of Food Product (RNPA) Number: Please refer to the Other Import Requirements section for further details
• Storage, preparation, and usage instructions (if applicable)

Note: Solid sugar, confectionery products which consist of flavored or colored sugars (candy), and chewing gum are exempt from date marking Information. 

Proposed Product Specific Labeling Requirements

The National Food Commission (Comisión Nacional de Alimentos – CONAL) notified the World Trade Organization (WTO Notification G/TBT/N/ARG/230) on October, 16 2007 of newly proposed labeling requirements (available here) for cocoa and cocoa-based products to be incorporated into the Argentinean Food Code (Código Alimentario Argentino).  A date of implementation has yet to be announced, and further information on implementation will be provided once available.  According to proposed regulations, specific cocoa and chocolate products should adhere to the following requirements:

• Filled Chocolate should be identified as: “(Type of Chocolate) with (Type of Filling)”.
• Mixed chocolates should list their fillings in decreasing proportions.
• Chocolate or filled chocolate containing flavoring substances should indicate such substances in the label.
• Chocolate products containing a cocoa butter equivalent (CBE) should be listed in the ingredient declaration and include the statement, "CONTAINS VEGETABLE FAT (CBE) IN ADDITION TO COCOA BUTTER”.

Nutritional Labeling Requirements

A nutritional fact panel is required in Argentina for imported and domestic food products. Joint Resolution 40/2004-SPRRS and 298/2004-SAGPyA (Article 235 Fifth of CAA) regulates nutrient content claims according to the terms of equivalence below. 

Absolute Nutrient Content and/or Energy Value:

• Light (Lite)

• Low

• Very low

• Free

• Without

• Zero

• No … added

• High

• Rich

• Source

Comparative Nutrient Content:

• Light (Lite)

• Reduced

• Less than

• Increased

• More than

Allergen Labeling Requirements

Joint Resolution #57/2010 and #548/2010 regulates all allergenic substances and others that are capable to produce adverse reactions in susceptible people (listed below). Allergens must be declared following the list of ingredients on the label if they or some of their byproducts (traces) are present in the food as ingredients or as part of the ingredients: 

• Cereals with gluten

• Crustaceans and products

• Table egg and products

• Fish and products

• Peanuts and products

• Soybeans and products

• Milk and products

• Nuts

• Sulfur Dioxide and Sulfites

• Tartrazine

This information must be presented in contrasting colors to allow visibility and with the following legend:

“Contains …” followed by the name of the substance and/or “Traces of …”

Note: Statements/warnings/legends suggesting that the food product may contain a possible allergenic substance are not allowed. 

GMO Labeling Requirements

Argentina does not currently have a national regulatory system for food products containing genetically modified organisms (GMO) and therefore maintains no specific labeling requirements for GMO products.

(Sources: Argentina FAIRS Narrative, The National Service of Agricultural Food Health and Quality)

Documentation Requirements

Certificate of Free Circulation

Once shipments enter Argentina, a Certificate of Free Circulation needs to be obtained before further movement can occur. The Certificate of Free Circulation can be obtained from the National Food Institute (Instituto Nacional de Alimentos - INAL). The requirements for the certificate are as follows:

• A letter to the INAL requesting a Certificate of Free Circulation for the product
• A document with the shipment information
• A copy of the invoice
• The bill of lading
• A copy of the importer's National Register of Establishment (Registro Nacional de Alimentos - RNE): See Other Import Requirements section for further details
• A copy of the importer's National Register of Food Product ( Registro Nacional De Productos Alimenticios - RNPA): See Other Import Requirements section for further details
• The manufacturing date and shelf-life of the product.
• A certificate that states that the product is "Fit for Human Consumption" issued by the sanitary authority of the country of origin. 

Note: Importers are only required to apply once for an RNPA. However, a Certificate of Free Circulation is required every time a product is imported.

Argentina Import Authorizing System

In December 2015, Argentina’s Federal Administration of Public Revenues published General Resolution 3823 (in Spanish) in the country’s official bulletin. The resolution, which entered into force on December 23, was designed to facilitate foreign trade by establishing a new import management system.

Specifically, Resolution 3823 implements the ‘Comprehensive Import Monitoring System’ (known as SIMI) as a replacement to Argentina’s previous ‘Import Affidavit System' (known as DJAI). In 2015, a World Trade Organization (WTO) Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) found Argentina’s DJAI procedures to be incompliant with certain articles of their WTO agreement. Ultimately, Argentina agreed to implement appropriate changes to its DJAI procedures by December 31, 2015. A summary of the case, which was originally initiated by the United States, can be found here.

The implementation of SIMI, which is being characterized by Argentinian officials as an expedited import approval system, is expected to be welcomed by foreign exporters targeting the Argentinian market. 

(Source: GAIN Report AR7019)

Trademark Laws

All brands and trademarks have to be registered in Argentina in order to ensure brand ownership. The National Institute of Industrial Property (Instituto Nacional de la Propiedad Industrial - INPI) is the Argentinian trademark authority and the Trademarks Law No. 22.362 (Ley de Marcas 22.362) and Decrees 558/81 and 1141/03 (Decretos 558/81 y 1141/03) provide the regulatory framework for trademark registration. 

To apply for trademark, an application (available here) must be filed with INPI, and include the following information and items:

• Applicant’s name
• Applicant’s address and the special address constituted within the Federal Capital
• A description of the trademark
• An indication of the products or services to be distinguished

After an application is filed, INPI performs a first formal examination to determine whether the preliminary requirements have been fulfilled. If the INPI has any objections to the application, it will notify the applicant, who will have 10 days to correct it. If the INPI has no objections to a corrected application, a notice of the registration will be published in the Bulletin of Trademarks (Boletin de Marcas).

In the 30 days after the application’s publication, INPI searches for records of the requested trademark and decides whether it can be registered.  During this period, any third party potentially affected by registration of the requested trademark can file an opposition to the registration.  If the terms expire with no opposition and with INPI approval, the trademark is granted.  If anyone files an opposition or finds any record regarding the trademark, the applicant will have one year after INPI notification to obtain withdrawal of any opposition and to provide the information requested by the INPI.

The following are prices for trade mark registration:

Trademarks are valid for ten years and can be renewed for subsequent ten year periods.

(Sources: GAIN Report AR7019, The National Institute of Industrial Property)

Other Import Requirements

Importer Registration Requirements

Before importing a product into Argentina, importers must register their product under the National Register of Establishment (Registron Nacional De Establecimientos - RNE). To register, the following items must be submitted:

• A letter addressed to the Minister of Public Health (Ministerio de Salud Y Ambiente de la Nacion - MSAN) . Please refer to the In-Country Resources section for contact information.
• A completed RNE registration form  
• A completed Customs registration form 
• A completed DGI (Direccion General Impositiva) tax direction registration form  
• A municipal authorization for the warehouse requesting cold chambers for frozen products, if 
  applicable. 
• An approval of the company's partnership with the importer 
• Payment for the registration fee.

Product Registration Requirements

After obtaining the RNE, the importer must then register the product by obtaining a National Register of Food Product (RNPA). The application must include:

• A letter addressed to the Minister of Public Health requesting an RNPA. Please refer to the In-Country Resources section for contact information.
• A Certificate of Free Sale outlined by the manufacturer and signed by a health authority.
• A completed RNPA application form. This form can be obtained from the National Food Institute (Instituto Nacional de Alimentos - INAL). 
• A description of the product's manufacturing process and technique, raw materials used, and packaging type.
• A Data Sheet that includes the following:
  • Information outlining the manufacturing process. (Shelf life, product specifications, shipping and storage requirements, and packaging type and capacity must be included.)
  • A list of ingredients that includes names and percentages used in the product.
  • A list of additives that includes the names, functions, and percentages present in the product.
  • A summary of consumer information (i.e. nutrition facts).
  • The net weight and dry net weight of the product.
  • An original label plus three copies must be submitted along with any artwork that will appear on the label.
  • Payment for the registration fee.

Solid Wood Packaging Material

Argentina implemented the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures #15 (ISPM #15) on June 1, 2006.  ISPM #15 requires solid wood packaging material to be heat-treated or fumigated.  Further information on ISPM #15 requirements is available here.

(Sources: National Food Institute, National Wooden Pallet And Container Association)

In-Country Resources

Standards

National Administration of Medicine, Food, and Medical Technology (Administration Nacional de Medicamentos, Alimentos y Technicos Médica)
Ministry of Health (Ministerio de Salud)

Av. De Mayo 869 (C1084AAD)
Ciudad Autonoma de Bs., Argentina

Tel (54) 11 4340 0800 Fax: (54) 11 5252 8200  

Web: www.anmat.gov.ar

Food Regulation and Content Authority

National Food Institute (Instituto Nacional de Alimentos - INAL)
Ministry of Health and the Environment (Ministerio De Salud y Ambiente)

Estados Unidos 25 1101
Buenos Aires, Argentina

Tel: (54) 11 4342-5674; 4340-0800 (ext. 3538) Fax: (54) 11 4331-6418

Web: www.anmat.gov.ar

Tariffs and Excise Duty

Argentina Customs (Aduana Argentina)

Azopardo 350 1er piso (a la derecha)
Ciudad Autónoma de Bs. As.,
Buenos Aires, Argentina

Tel: (54) 11 4338-6505

E-mail: info@afip.gov.ar

Web: www.afip.gov.ar

Trademarks

National Institute of Industrial Property (Instituto Nacional de la Propiedad Industrial - INPI)

Paseo Colón 717 (C.P. 1063) - Capital Federal
Buenos Aires, Argentina

Tel: (54) 11 4344-4975 Fax: (54) 11 4343-8359

E-mail: infomarcas@inpi.gov.ar

Web: www.inpi.gov.ar

US Agricultural Representative

Office of Agricultural Affairs

Mailing Adress

Office of Agricultural Affairs
American Embassy Buenos Aires
Unit 4325
APO AA 34034-0001

Physical Location

Embassy of the United States
Avda. Colombia 4300, C1425GMN
Buenos Aires, Argentina

Tel: (54) 11 5777-4627; 4777-4533 Fax: (54) 11 5777-4216

E-mail-FAS: agbuenosaires@usda.gov

E-mail-Internet: fasbuenosaires@ciudad.com.ar

Web: http://buenosaires.usembassy.gov/foreign_agricultural_service.html

US Business Representatives

Argentina-American Chamber of Commerce

Viamonte 1133, 8º Piso C1053ABW
Buenos Aires, Argentina

Tel: (54) 11 4371-4500 Fax: (54) 11 4371-8400

E-mail: amcham@amchamar.com.ar

Web: www.amchamar.com.ar