By Baker & McKenzie

Official Mexican Standard NOM-213-SSA1-2002 entitled "Products and Services. Processed Meat Products. Sanitary Specifications. Verification Methods" ("NOM-213") was published on the Federal Official Gazette, on July 11, 2005. NOM-213 is applicable for parties that process or import meat products, and it will become effective on September 11, 2005.

The NOM-213 includes in its definition of meat products those generated from mammals or poultry. Establishes maximum allowable additive limits for five microorganisms and parasites, and it regulates the presence of arsenic, cadmium, tin and lead. Establishes particular obligations in the use of products in a preparation process. It also imposes specific requirements for establishments where meat products are processed, as well as for the importers, the personnel who manages them, distributors and locations for the sale to the public.

Parties requiring to comply with NOM-213 will have to prepare several logs or databases, containing objective and auditable evidence of the executed activities or that provides the results obtained during meat processing activities. These logs must be prepared in each of the following activities: (i) raw materials storage (ii) processed meat products storage (iii) raw material sanitary parameters and (iv) processed meat product sanitary parameters (v) control and eradication of harmful fauna (vi) disinfection of equipment and transportation means (vii) meat production process. All the logs must be kept for at least for 1 year and will have to be shown to the regulators upon request.

NOM-213 imposes labeling requirement for processed meat products in addition to those established by NOM-051-SCFI-1994. The processed meat product label must show the recognition or acceptance of a national or international organization. This recognition must have technical support, which will be available for authority at any time. The label must contain the specific name of the product's ingredients, as well as its production and expiration dates.

NOM-213 contains special packaging provisions for these products. These provisions include the characteristics of the packaging material to the labeling that must be visible to the public. The authority responsible for overseeing the compliance with the requirements established by NOM-213 is the Ministry of Health. This authority may impose warnings, fines, temporary or definitive shut downs in accordance to the provisions established by the General Health Law.