The Ministry of Health has published a proposed amendment to the Manual for the Importation of Food Intended for Human Consumption.

The current version of the manual has been reviewed and the food entry procedure analyzed, identifying that the document does not clearly set out, either for stakeholders or for the inspection personnel of the Regional Ministerial Secretariats (SEREMI in Spanish) of Health, matters such as the required documentation and the procedures to be followed in the control process for foods entering the country. In this regard, the Regional Ministerial Secretariats (SEREMIs) of Health, the National Customs Service, and the private sector, thru the Executive Productivity Roundtables led by the Production Development Corporation, have submitted observations and requests to improve the Manual for the Import of Foods Intended for Human Consumption. It has been detected that the deadline established for filing the reconsideration appeal does not comply with Law 19.880. Likewise, it is necessary to modify the wording of section 11, entitled “Importation of Food Products for Processing and Export,” to clarify the procedure applicable to this intended use. In consideration of the National Customs Service’s request to review Section 10.2 of the manual regarding travel baggage, as well as the need to have a procedure in place for donations during emergency situations as soon as possible, the decision was made to partially update the document.