The Belize Bureau of Standards (BBS) is mandated to establish and monitor standard requirements for labeling, packaging, metrology, and consumer protection. All locally manufactured goods and imported goods must adhere to several minimum standards to be legally traded and sold on the Belizean market.

There are three technical regulations concerning the labeling of food: general principles, pre-packaged foods, and brewery products, all of which have been developed through CARICOM’s standards process. Labeling requirements on all processed food products must be in English and details must include product name, description, manufacturer’s name and address, country of origin, storage instructions, net weight/volume, quantity, list of contents, nutritional information, date of production, expiration date, and identification lot. Pre-packaged processed food products labeled in English in accordance with the laws or standards in force in Canada, CARICOM, the European Union, and the United States are deemed to comply with Belizean labeling standards. Other technical regulations related to labeling are provided for in product specific legislation including labeling requirements for some dairy products, as well as certain alcohol and tobacco products. Within the past year, Belize regulated but has not yet implemented labelling requirements for biodegradable products. The Ministry of Health regulates labeling of cosmetics and pharmaceutical products.

The BBS identifies legislation and documents describing the nature of information and specifications required for products to be labeled, packaged, and sold legally in the marketplace.  Importers are required to submit labels for their products that would be assessed against the standards. Where possible, conformity checks are carried out after imports have cleared customs and directly at local distribution or consumer stores.

Further information about the Belize Bureau of Standards, labelling and marking requirements are available at https://bbs.gov.bz/.