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Chile pioneered the world's most visible food labelling system — mandatory front-of-pack octagon warning labels under Law 20.606 (2016). Every international food and beverage brand must assess their Chilean SKUs against four nutrient thresholds before attempting market entry. The good news: Chile's FTA network means 0% duty for many qualifying food products from the EU and US.
Chile's Law 20.606 and its implementing regulation D.S. 13/2015 introduced mandatory front-of-pack octagon warning seals ('sellos de advertencia') for all packaged food products sold in Chile. This is now the most comprehensive mandatory FOP labelling system globally, having influenced similar systems in Mexico (NOM-051), Brazil, Peru, and Colombia. Black octagon seals marked 'ALTO EN' (High in) must appear on the front of pack if a product exceeds any of the following thresholds:
Food products in Chile are regulated under the Reglamento Sanitario de los Alimentos (RSA, D.S. 977/96) administered by MINSAL (Ministerio de Salud) through regional SEREMI offices. (1) Standard packaged food: registration or notification required before sale. The SEREMI of the relevant region processes applications. (2) Functional foods with health claims: ISP assessment required in addition to SEREMI registration. (3) Novel food ingredients: MINSAL/ISP feasibility assessment required before any registration can begin. (4) Products with existing FDA, EFSA, or ANVISA approval may benefit from a faster SEREMI review pathway. (5) A Chilean representante legal (importer with Chilean RUT) is required for all imported food products — the importer bears legal responsibility for compliance.
Chilean nutritional labelling requirements under RSA and Law 20.606 differ from US, EU, and MERCOSUR formats: (1) Declarations must be made per 100g or 100mL AND per serving/portion. (2) Serving size must be expressed in Chilean household units (porción). (3) Mandatory nutrients: energy (kcal and kJ), protein, total carbohydrate, sugars (added and total if different), total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, dietary fibre, sodium. (4) Chile has specific rules for 'added sugars' declaration — pre-dating similar US FDA requirements. (5) The label must include the octagon warning assessment results — this requires the brand to have accurate nutritional analysis data per the Chilean format before finalising labels.
Chile's trade agreement network is one of the world's most extensive and provides substantial duty advantages for food brands: (1) Chile–US FTA: 0% duty for most packaged food and beverage products manufactured in the US. (2) Chile–EU FTA: 0% or minimal duty for most processed food products from EU member states. (3) Chile–China FTA: Progressive duty reduction for Chinese-manufactured food products. (4) Chile–Japan EPA: Reduced duties for Japanese-origin specialty food products. (5) For food products not covered by FTAs, Chile's MFN tariff for processed food is typically 6%. Chilean IVA (VAT) of 19% applies to all food products — imported and domestic — and is reclaimed by importers with Chilean RUT registration.
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