Mexico Issues Guidance on the Classification of Food Supplements

Mexico’s sanitary authority issued new guidance aimed at clarifying the classification of products as food supplements under the current regulatory framework.

The guidance, released by the Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks (COFEPRIS), does not introduce new regulatory requirements or amend existing rules. Instead, it provides additional clarity on how the authority interprets and applies current provisions in practice.

In particular, the document outlines key considerations for product classification, including permitted forms of presentation, and introduces a decision tree designed to support operators in determining whether a product qualifies as a food supplement.

The guidance also clarifies specific terminology and technical aspects relevant to industry practice. For example, it relation to the use of the term gummies in Spanish in order to avoid confusion with confectionery products. Additionally, the document confirms that the Herbal Pharmacopoeia of the United Mexican States (3rd edition) may be used as a reference when assessing the permissibility of plants and botanical ingredients, reinforcing an approach already applied in practice.

Overall, the guidance provides useful clarification for operators navigating product classification requirements in Mexico, particularly in areas where regulatory interpretation has previously lacked consistency.