The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock has officially launched a comprehensive strategic plan designed to expand and strengthen sanitary controls across the entire food supply chain, with a specific technical emphasis on the dairy subsector. This administrative provision mandates the immediate modernization of state laboratory infrastructure to facilitate the intensification of direct inspections at processing facilities and strategic national import points. The regulatory authority asserts that these actions are imperative to ensure strict compliance with Central American Technical Regulations (RTCA), particularly concerning the identification of chemical and microbiological contaminants, the prevention of adulteration in mass-consumption products, and the rigorous verification of identity and quality standards. Under this new supervision framework, food business operators and economic stakeholders must adapt to significantly more frequent audit regimes covering the full traceability of raw materials, manufacturing conditions, and storage and transport protocols for finished goods. The implementation of advanced analytical capabilities will facilitate the rapid detection of emerging health risks, effectively aligning institutional response parameters with the surveillance standards established by international technical reference organizations. This institutional reinforcement aims to elevate public health safety levels while ensuring that domestic market commercialization does not result in unfair competition based on non-compliance with current safety technical standards. Furthermore, the plan establishes a roadmap for the integration of enhanced monitoring systems to increase oversight throughout the logistical chain. The update of these control and sanitary surveillance powers will be executed progressively throughout the 2026 fiscal cycle, consolidating administrative authority over the integrity of the national food matrix.
Day: 21/05/2026
Uruguay – Procedures for Food Donation Registration
Law No. 20.177, enacted on July 21, 2023, declares the promotion of donations of food fit for human consumption to be of general interest, with the aim of contributing to food security and reducing food waste. The regime was regulated by Decree No. 179/025 and includes the free donation of food fit for human consumption. Donors can benefit from tax incentives, such as the deduction of VAT and IRAE, as long as they meet certain formal and documentary requirements. Excluded from the benefit are medicinal foods, non-alcoholic beverages with added caffeine and/or taurine, and alcoholic beverages.
The donation system works thanks to the coordination of three actors: donors, intermediary entities, and beneficiaries. The figure of the intermediary entity refers to those public or private organizations that link the surplus food from donors with beneficiaries who are in a state of food insecurity. To be part of this regime, it is required -among other aspects- to be registered in the Food Donation Registry of the Ministry of Environment, which consists of the following sub-registers:
- Registry of Intermediary Subjects
- Registration of Food Donation Agreements
- Donation Registry
- Donation Distribution Record

Peru – INACAL announces modification of Peruvian Technical Standards on food
The National Institute of Quality (INACAL in Spanish) thru Directoral Resolution No. 000008-2026-INACAL/DN modifies 2 Peruvian Technical Standards (NTP) related to food:
- NTP-ISO 2172:2026 Fruit juice. Determination of soluble solids content. Pycnometric method. 1st Edition
- NTP-ISO 5378:2026 Starches and derived products. Determination of nitrogen content by the Kjeldahl method. Spectrophotometric method. 1st Edition.
Replaces NTP 209.072:1974 (revised in 2018)
- NTP 209.082:2026 FOOD ADDITIVES. Modified starches and flours. Requirements. 2nd Edition.
Replaces NTP 209.082:1974 (revised in 2018)
- NTP 205.064:2026 WHEAT. Wheat flour for human consumption. Requirements. 2nd Edition.
Replaces NTP 205.064:2015 (revised in 2020)
- NTP 209.322:2026 COFFEE. Guidelines for the Collection and Storage of Pergamino Coffee. 1st Edition.
- NTP 012.701:2026 CAROB AND ITS DERIVATIVES. Algarrobina. Good manufacturing practices. 1st Edition.
- NTP 107.901:2026 FOODS FOR SPECIAL DIETS. Instant reconstituted cooked foods. Requirements. 1st Edition.
Replaces NTP 209.260:2016 and NTP 209.284:2012 (revised in 2021)
Jamaica – New draft Technical Regulation for the Labeling of Prepackaged Foods
The Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce (MIIC) has published a draft Technical Regulation for the Labeling of Prepackaged Foods. This Technical Regulation establishes the rules governing the labeling of prepackaged foods, their importation, production, and commercialization in Jamaica. The Technical Regulation establishes the following:
- This Technical Regulation is applicable to the labelling of all pre-packaged foods to be offered to the consumer or pre-packaged foods for catering purposes.
- This Technical Regulation specifies labelling requirements for fruit and vegetable juices and drinks, and fruit juices.
- This Technical Regulation specifies labelling requirements for brewery products.
- This Technical Regulation does not apply to Front of Package Labelling.
- This Technical Regulation does not apply to:
a) fruit juices sold otherwise than in a container;
b) fruit juices sold to a manufacturer for the purpose of his manufacturing business;
c) fruit juices sold other than retail, in containers of more than 4.5L
Jamaica – New draft Technical Regulation for Processed Foods
The Ministry of Industry, Investment and Trade (MIIC) has published a draft Technical Regulation for Processed Foods. This Technical Regulation lays down rules governing the registration of pre-packaged processed food establishments in Jamaica. The Technical Regulation sets out the following:
- This Technical Regulation specifies the food safety requirements for a pre-packaged processed food
establishment. - This technical regulation is not applicable to:
a) food sold unpackaged, or in an open or uncovered package;
b) food weighed or measured in or counted or placed into the package in the presence of the
purchaser; and
c) fresh fruits, vegetables, and ground provisions which have not been peeled, cut, or similarly
treated.
d) a foreign establishment, if food from such facility undergoes manufacturing/processing (including
packaging) by another establishment outside of Jamaica;
e) farms;
f) restaurants;
g) nonprofit food establishments in which food is prepared for, served directly to, the consumer.