On December 3, 2024, the Ministry of Health of the Dominican Republic (MISPAS) issued draft regulations for pre-packaged food Nutrition Warning Labels (EFAN).

The regulation, modeled after similar systems in other countries in Latin America, requires an "excess" warning label when nutrients such as sodium, sugar and fat are too high, and a "contains" warning label when sweeteners are included. The specific criteria for determining "excessive" or "containing" are specified in the regulations, and the size of the label is specified according to the package size. The implementation period is 18 months, with an additional 6 months allowed for the use of supplementary labels or stickers. The main contents are as follows:

(1) Label location: EFAN labels must be placed on the main display panel of all pre-packaged foods;

(2) Nutritional information: EFAN labels will include information on energy, sodium, sugar, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat and sweeteners;

(3) Warning label design: EFAN will be presented with a black octagonal border with white capital letters;

(4) "Excess" or "contains" label criteria: EFAN labels will be based on a specific nutrient or ingredient content determination;

(5) Label size: The size of the EFAN label will be determined according to the main display panel area of the package;

(6) Implementation Period: A compliance period of 18 months will be provided, with an additional 6 months of implementation time allowing the use of supplementary labels or stickers.