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Regulation

Ley 27.642 (EXCESO warnings): Argentina nutrition label

Ley 27.642 (EXCESO warnings), the Argentine nutrition label under Ley 27.642, 8 mandatory nutrients, per 100 g or 100 ml and per serving, both columns required, Spanish on pack. Generate a compliant label free.

Reviewed against Ley 27.642 · Page updated October 25, 2026

Jurisdiction
Argentina (packaged food sold at retail)
Regulation
Ley 27.642
Effective
20 August 2022
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Nutrition labelling requirements in Argentina

Packaged food sold in Argentina must carry a nutrition declaration under Ley 27.642. This page covers the Argentina - Ley 27.642 (EXCESO warnings) format: 5 EXCESO EN black octagons per Decreto 151/2022. A compliant Argentine nutrition label declares 8 mandatory nutrients: valor energético, carbohidratos, azúcares totales, proteínas, grasas totales, grasas saturadas, grasas trans and sodio. Values are declared per 100 g or 100 ml and per serving, both columns required, with energy in kcal, and sodium rather than salt. The scheme itself uses 2 colour bands, and is applied on pack. The panel is headed "Información Nutricional". Spanish is required on pack. Front-of-pack warnings apply. The required scheme is black octagon stop sign. NFL builds a print-ready Argentine nutrition label from your recipe, applying the rounding rules and reference intakes for Argentina automatically, and exports it as PDF, PNG, SVG, JPG or EPS.

Official regulation

Citation
Ley 27.642
Effective
20 August 2022
Scope
Argentina (packaged food sold at retail)
Source

Key facts

Mandatory nutrients (8)
Valor energético, Carbohidratos, Azúcares totales, Proteínas, Grasas totales, Grasas saturadas, Grasas trans and Sodio
Declaration basis
Per 100 g or 100 ml and per serving, both columns required
Energy units
kcal
Sodium or salt
Declared as sodium, not salt
Panel heading
Información Nutricional
Label language
Spanish required on pack
Front of pack
Mandatory: black octagon stop sign

Front-of-pack scheme: how it works in Argentina

Scheme type
black octagon stop sign
Colour bands
fill, text

Argentina food labeling law: when Ley 27.642 applies

Ley 27.642 on the promotion of healthy eating is in force and makes front-of-pack warnings mandatory on packaged foods and non-alcoholic beverages sold in Argentina that fall within its scope. It applies to manufacturers, producers, packers, distributors, marketers, importers and brand owners.

Under Decreto 151/2022 and Article 226 of the Código Alimentario Argentino, the nutrient-profile cut-offs apply to products to which sugars, fats or sodium, or ingredients containing them, have been added during manufacture. Separate warning statements are mandatory for covered products that contain sweeteners or caffeine.

Some foods are exempt from the octagons: sugar, vegetable oils, nuts and table salt. The cut-offs also do not apply to foods for special medical purposes, dietary supplements, or formulas for infants and children up to 36 months.

The warning system runs alongside, not instead of, the mandatory ingredient list and nutrition information in the Código Alimentario Argentino. Packaged foods that must carry nutrition information must also declare total sugars and added sugars under Article 225.

Source: Ley 27.642, Promoción de la Alimentación Saludable; Decreto 151/2022; Resolución Conjunta 7/2022.

What triggers Argentina food warning labels and EXCESO EN octagons

A product within scope must display an octagon when its final composition reaches or exceeds the cut-off for added sugars, total fat, saturated fat, sodium or energy. This is mandatory. The product is assessed as consumed: if it has to be prepared or reconstituted, the assessment uses the prepared food, following the label instructions.

The second-stage cut-offs are the ones in force. As examples, a warning applies at 10% or more of total energy from added sugars, 30% or more from total fat, and 10% or more from saturated fat.

For sodium, the second-stage criterion is 1 mg or more of sodium per kcal, and any product with 300 mg or more per 100 g needs the sodium warning regardless of its energy content. Non-alcoholic beverages with no energy use a cut-off of 40 mg or more per 100 ml. The calorie warning uses its own energy cut-offs, such as 275 kcal per 100 g for foods, under the conditions the decree sets.

Since 26 December 2024, ANMAT Disposition 11362/2024 has made explicit that only added critical nutrients count. A product gets an octagon for sugar only if sugar was added during manufacture, not for sugar naturally present, such as in fruit. The PAHO-based cut-offs themselves did not change.

Source: Decreto 151/2022, Annex I; Disposición ANMAT 11362/2024.

PAHO nutrient profile used by Argentina food regulations

Ley 27.642, in force, requires the maximum values for sugars, saturated fat, total fat and sodium to follow the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO, or OPS) Nutrient Profile Model. Decreto 151/2022 implements this with Argentina-specific staged cut-offs.

What counts as "added" is defined in the regulation:

  • added sugars include sugars added during processing and ingredients that contribute sugars, such as honey, syrups and fruit or vegetable juices and concentrates;
  • added fat includes added vegetable or animal fats and oils, including milk fat; and
  • added sodium includes sodium salts and ingredients containing them, including when used as additives.

Two warning statements are mandatory where they apply. A product with sweeteners must say "CONTIENE EDULCORANTES, NO RECOMENDABLE EN NIÑOS/AS", and a product with caffeine must say "CONTIENE CAFEÍNA. EVITAR EN NIÑOS/AS". These are decided separately from the EXCESO EN octagons.

Source: Ley 27.642, Articles 4 and 6; Decreto 151/2022.

EXCESO EN octagons and front-of-pack presentation

Each warning that applies must appear on the principal display face as a black octagon with a white border and white upper-case text. This is mandatory. The possible warnings are "EXCESO EN AZÚCARES", "EXCESO EN SODIO", "EXCESO EN GRASAS SATURADAS", "EXCESO EN GRASAS TOTALES" and "EXCESO EN CALORÍAS".

The warnings and statements must be clearly visible and not covered, in whole or in part, by anything else on the label. Products with more than one principal display face must carry them on each one.

Sizes and placement must follow the graphic rules in Decreto 151/2022, Resolución Conjunta 7/2022 and ANMAT's graphic specifications, which also set how to measure the available front-panel area when several warnings are needed.

A product with at least one warning faces mandatory restrictions on its label under Ley 27.642. These cover nutrition claims and specified marketing devices such as endorsements, characters, celebrities, athletes, mascots, interactive elements, gifts and prizes. ANMAT Disposition 11378/2024 updated the rules on advertising from 26 December 2024.

Source: Ley 27.642, Articles 4, 5 and 9; ANMAT, Manual de Aplicación del Rotulado Nutricional Frontal.

Imported products, phase-in dates and current status

Imported foods are covered, which is mandatory. Ley 27.642 expressly lists importers, so an imported product sold in Argentina must meet the same warning requirements. ANMAT guidance allows imports whose original labels do not comply to add hard-to-remove stickers carrying the required warnings before sale, as long as the stickers follow the graphic rules.

Ley 27.642 was published in November 2021. Decreto 151/2022 phased it in over two stages. For most companies, Stage 1 ended on 20 August 2022 and Stage 2 on 20 May 2023. For small and medium enterprises (PyMEs), Stage 1 ended on 20 February 2023 and Stage 2 on 20 November 2023. These transitional periods have ended, and the second-stage cut-offs are in force for all.

On 26 December 2024, ANMAT Dispositions 11362/2024 and 11378/2024 simplified administration. They removed the sworn declaration companies had to file with ANMAT, the system for requesting extensions, and the public product database. Products already labelled under the earlier rules may be sold until stock runs out.

Bills to amend or repeal Ley 27.642 have been introduced in Congress. They are proposed only; the law remains in force.

Source: Decreto 151/2022; ANMAT, Cronograma para Empresas; Disposición ANMAT 11362/2024.

How NFL handles it

  • Applies the correct rounding rules for every nutrient
  • Uses the right Daily Value / Reference Intake table for this jurisdiction
  • Renders the required front-of-pack warnings automatically when thresholds are hit
  • Handles multilingual labels where required (bilingual EN/FR, EN/ES, Arabic + EN, etc.)
  • Exports print-ready vector PDF, PNG, SVG, JPG, and EPS

Common questions

What is Argentina's front-of-pack labelling law?
Ley 27.642 on the promotion of healthy eating, implemented by Decreto 151/2022, is in force. It makes black warning octagons mandatory on covered packaged foods and non-alcoholic beverages that reach the nutrient-profile limits, plus warning statements for products containing sweeteners or caffeine.
What triggers an EXCESO EN octagon?
A product within scope gets an octagon when it reaches or exceeds the second-stage cut-off for an added critical nutrient or for energy. Examples in force are 10% or more of total energy from added sugars, 30% or more from total fat, and 10% or more from saturated fat. Since December 2024, only nutrients added during manufacture count.
Which nutrient profile model does Argentina use?
Ley 27.642 requires the limits for critical nutrients to follow the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Nutrient Profile Model, and those cut-offs are in force. Decreto 151/2022 turns that model into the legal criteria that decide Argentina's warnings.
Does Argentina's food labeling law apply to imported products?
Yes, it is mandatory for imports. Ley 27.642 expressly includes importers. ANMAT allows imported products with non-compliant original labels to add hard-to-remove warning stickers before sale, if the stickers follow the graphic rules.
What are the phase-in dates for Ley 27.642?
For most companies, Stage 1 ended on 20 August 2022 and Stage 2 on 20 May 2023. For PyMEs, Stage 1 ended on 20 February 2023 and Stage 2 on 20 November 2023. The transition is over, and the second-stage cut-offs are in force.
Did Argentina change the octagon rules in 2024?
Yes. ANMAT Dispositions 11362/2024 and 11378/2024, in force since 26 December 2024, confirmed that only added critical nutrients trigger octagons and removed several administrative requirements, such as the sworn declaration and the public database. The PAHO-based cut-offs did not change.
Is every food with naturally occurring sugar, fat or sodium required to carry an octagon?
No. The rules in force apply the nutrient profile only where critical nutrients were added during manufacture, so naturally present sugar, fat or sodium does not by itself trigger an octagon. Sugar, vegetable oils, nuts and table salt are also exempt.

How to generate one

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