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Selling cleaning products and detergents in Mexico

In Mexico, cleaning products (productos de aseo) are under sanitary control in the General Health Law. NOM-189-SSA1/SCFI-2018 sets the sanitary and commercial labelling and the packaging of household products: ingredients, instructions, lot, hazard legends and pictograms in Spanish, and child-resistant packs for toxic, corrosive or flammable products.

Updated · Each section links to the official source it comes from

Definition
Article 273, General Health Law
Main NOM
NOM-189-SSA1/SCFI-2018, in force from 13 December 2019
Language
Spanish, at least as large as any other language
Hazards
Legends and pictograms for toxic, corrosive and flammable products
Packaging
Child-resistant for toxic, corrosive or flammable products
Enforcement
COFEPRIS and the states (sanitary); PROFECO (commercial)

Before a product goes on sale

The questions to answer, in the order they usually come up.

  1. 1Is it a cleaning product under the General Health Law, and which class of NOM-189 is it? Read more
  2. 2What has to be on the label, in Spanish? Read more
  3. 3Is it toxic, corrosive, flammable or pressurised, and which legends and pictograms follow? Read more
  4. 4Does the pack need child-resistant closures? Read more
  5. 5Who answers for it on the Mexican market? Read more

The rules, by area

What each area covers, the texts that set it, and what the official pages say.

What counts as a cleaning product

The legal definition and the NOM that applies.

  • Cleaning products are substances for washing or cleaning objects, surfaces or premises, and those that give a scent to the air: soaps, detergents, cleaners, bleaches, starches for external use, stain removers, disinfectants, deodorisers and air fresheners, and similar products the Secretaría names (Article 273, General Health Law).
  • Under the Regulation, they include products that remove dirt and stains, give or remove odours, polish, condition fabrics or unblock drains (Article 197).
  • NOM-189-SSA1/SCFI-2018 (Productos y servicios. Etiquetado y envasado para productos de aseo de uso doméstico) binds those who process or import household cleaning products in Mexico.
  • It classes them as special products for textiles, multifunctional products, drain openers, air fresheners and odour control, cleaning products, and polishes and finishes (section 5).

How we help: Compliant Always records the class of each product and keeps the formula and safety data with it. Ask about this

Labelling

The sanitary and commercial information on the label.

  • The generic or specific name appears on the principal display panel (6.1.1).
  • National products give the name and address of the producer; imported products give the importer's name and address, which may be added in Mexico after customs and before sale (6.1.2).
  • Ingredients follow the word "ingredientes"; corrosive, toxic or flammable ingredients behind the precautionary legends are named chemically, others by generic, chemical-group or functional name (6.1.3).
  • Instructions for use, dosage or storage appear where needed, and a lot code allows traceability (6.1.4 and 6.1.5).
  • Commercial information includes the brand, country of origin and net quantity (6.2).
  • The label is in Spanish, in characters at least as large as any other language; "champú" and "espray" may be given in English (8.2 and 8.4).

How we help: Compliant Always sets your label beside each clause of NOM-189, so a missing lot code or importer address shows up before printing. Ask about this

Precautionary legends and pictograms

What toxic, corrosive, flammable and pressurised products must say.

  • Toxic products state that they contain toxic substances that can cause serious harm, that they are kept out of reach of children, and carry a toxicity pictogram (6.1.6.1).
  • Corrosive products state "Lea la etiqueta antes de usar este producto" on the front, not to reuse the pack, to use gloves, carry a corrosion pictogram and the word "corrosivo", and give first-aid directions (6.1.6.2).
  • Flammable products carry "inflamable" and "Mantener lejos del fuego y de instalaciones eléctricas" (6.1.6.3).
  • Pressurised products warn not to use near the eyes or flames, not to burn or puncture the can, and not to expose it to heat (6.1.6.4).
  • Where the formula must not be mixed with other substances, the label says so clearly (6.1.6.5).

How we help: Compliant Always reads your safety data against the hazard classes in NOM-189 and lists the legends and pictograms each label needs. Ask about this

Packaging

How cleaning products are packed.

  • Products that are a health risk because they are toxic, corrosive or flammable have safety devices and child-resistant packaging (7.1.1).
  • Solid air fresheners and deodorising tablets have a resistant primary pack that children cannot easily open, or a secondary pack (7.1.2).
  • Packs allow easy pouring and, where needed, prevent drips, splashes and spills (Article 198 of the Regulation).
  • Bulk sellers may not refill containers that held food or drinks (7.1.3).

How we help: Compliant Always keeps your packaging supplier's specifications and child-resistance test reports with each product. Ask about this

Enforcement

Who checks what.

  • COFEPRIS and the state governments oversee the sanitary specifications of NOM-189; the commercial specifications are overseen through PROFECO (section 12).
  • Cleaning products are under sanitary control for processing, import and export, and the importer must be domiciled in Mexico (Articles 194 and 285, General Health Law).
  • Products that are potentially dangerous come with instructions warning of their harmful characteristics and the recommended use (Article 41, Federal Consumer Protection Law).

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the documents behind each product ready for a COFEPRIS or PROFECO visit. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
BrandThe label, its hazard legends and its claims.Labels checked against NOM-189, with the safety data behind them.
ManufacturerThe formula, lot coding and the packaging specified for its hazards.Formulas and safety data kept by product and lot.
ImporterBeing domiciled in Mexico, and its name and address on the label.Supplier documents read and dated before the goods arrive.
Bulk sellerLabelling and safe containers when selling loose product.The label text and container specifications kept to hand.

Federal rules and the states

Product rules in Mexico are federal: the General Health Law, the Federal Consumer Protection Law and the Normas Oficiales Mexicanas apply across the national territory.

Health surveillance is shared. Under the General Health Law, a notice of operation (aviso de funcionamiento) goes to the Secretaría de Salud or to the government of the state (entidad federativa), and several sanitary NOMs are enforced by COFEPRIS and the state governments together.

Questions businesses ask

Which NOM applies to household cleaning products in Mexico?
NOM-189-SSA1/SCFI-2018, on the labelling and packaging of household cleaning products, published in the DOF on 13 December 2018 and in force from 13 December 2019.
What counts as a cleaning product under Mexican law?
Substances for washing or cleaning objects, surfaces or premises and those that scent the air, including soaps, detergents, cleaners, bleaches, stain removers, disinfectants and air fresheners (Article 273, General Health Law).
Must cleaning product labels be in Spanish?
Yes, in characters at least as large as any other language. "Champú" and "espray" may be given in English (NOM-189, 8.2 and 8.4).
Do cleaning products need an ingredients list in Mexico?
Yes. Hazardous ingredients behind the precautionary legends are named chemically; others may be named generically, by chemical group or by function (NOM-189, 6.1.3).
What must a corrosive cleaner's label say?
"Lea la etiqueta antes de usar este producto" on the front, the word "corrosivo", a pictogram, not to reuse the pack, to use gloves, to keep out of reach of children, and first-aid directions.
Do cleaning products need child-resistant packaging in Mexico?
Products that are toxic, corrosive or flammable have safety devices and child-resistant packaging (NOM-189, 7.1.1).
Can an importer add its details after the goods arrive?
Yes. The importer's name and address may be added in Mexico after customs clearance and before sale (NOM-189, 6.1.2.3).
Who enforces NOM-189?
COFEPRIS and the state governments for the sanitary specifications, and PROFECO for the commercial specifications (NOM-189, section 12).
What must a pressurised spray cleaner say?
Not to use near the eyes or a flame, not to burn or puncture the can, not to expose it to heat, and to keep it out of reach of children (NOM-189, 6.1.6.4).
Can loose cleaning products be sold in reused food bottles?
No. Bulk sellers may not reuse containers that held prepackaged food or drinks (NOM-189, 7.1.3).
How does Compliant Always help with selling in Mexico?
Our team reads the rules for the markets you sell in, including the Normas Oficiales Mexicanas and COFEPRIS requirements. Compliant Always shows which apply to your product, keeps the documents behind each one ready, and watches the sources for changes. It shows what the requirements say and what your documents show; you decide.

Sources

Compliant Always is a product of Lettuce Labs LLC. It shows what requirements say and what your documents show. It is not legal advice, and you decide.

Tell us what you make, and we will show you the rules for it.

Name the product and the markets you sell in. We will come back to you with what applies in Mexico and what your paperwork needs to show.

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