NOM-051-SCFI/SSA1-2010 establishes the commercial and health information that the labeling of pre-packaged food and non-alcoholic beverages must carry in Mexico. For whoever designs and prints the label, the standard translates into a list of elements that must fit, be legible and sit on the right surface. This guide summarizes that list so you can reserve it in the design from the first sketch. It does not replace reading the standard or a review by a regulatory specialist: compliance of the content is the responsibility of the party responsible for the product. Dietary supplements are labeled as pre-packaged food and fall under this same list.
The two surfaces of the label
The standard distinguishes the principal display surface, the one the consumer sees head-on at the shelf, from the information surface, any other face of the package. Some elements must go on the principal surface; others may go on either. On a bottle with a body label and a back label, the front is the principal surface and the back label is the information surface; on a single wrap-around label, both surfaces coexist on the same roll and you must decide where each one starts.
What must fit
On the principal display surface
- Product name (what it is: "chile de árbol salsa", "orange juice"), next to the brand.
- Net content and, where applicable, drained weight, in units of the General System of Units of Measurement.
- Warning seals when the product exceeds the limits for calories, sugars, saturated fat, trans fat or sodium, in the upper right corner, at the size the standard sets by the area of the principal surface.
- Precautionary statements on sweeteners and caffeine when the product contains them.
On any surface
- Ingredient list in decreasing order of proportion, with allergens highlighted.
- Nutrition declaration: the table with energy, protein, fat, carbohydrates, sugars, fiber and sodium per serving and per 100 g or 100 ml.
- Name and address of the responsible party (manufacturer, importer or distributor).
- Country of origin.
- Lot: a code that allows the production to be traced.
- Expiry or best-before date, depending on the type of product.
- Storage and use instructions when the product requires them ("keep refrigerated").
How it affects the label design
Reserve the seals before the logo
The most common mistake is to design the front and "see where the seals fit" at the end. The seals have a minimum size that grows with the area of the principal surface and sit in the upper right corner; if your product carries them, they are the first element placed. On small labels they can take a significant fraction of the front.
Minimum type size
The standard sets minimum letter heights by the area of the principal surface. As a printing rule, in addition, we do not go below 5 pt for positive text or 6 pt for reversed text so the text is legible after printing. If the nutrition table does not fit, the solution is a back label or a larger label, not smaller type.
Space for variable data
Lot and expiry are usually printed on the packaging line by inkjet or thermal transfer on the applied label or on the blank roll. Reserve a light rectangle, without varnish or gloss lamination if it is printed with ink, where your coding equipment can reach.
Barcode
The point-of-sale EAN-13 is not required by NOM-051 but retail requires it. Leave it with a quiet zone, 80 % magnification or higher and, on curved containers, with the bars along the axis of curvature.
Materials that keep the standard legible
Complying in the file is useless if the label smudges or peels. For refrigerated food use white BOPP with lamination, which resists condensation and grease; for frozen products, BOPP or polyethylene with freezer-grade adhesive; for squeezable containers, polyethylene. Neighboring sectors have their own lists: NOM-142 for alcoholic beverages and NOM-141 for cosmetics.
Design checklist
- Product name and net content on the front.
- Warning seals and statements, if applicable, in the upper right corner at their size.
- Ingredients with allergens highlighted.
- Complete, legible nutrition table.
- Responsible party, address and country of origin.
- Space reserved for lot and expiry.
- Barcode with quiet zone.
The industry templates in the online designer place these blocks as a reference on your real size; the final content must be validated by your regulatory lead.
