Indonesian Seafood to Mexico: COFEPRIS 2026 Essentials

A field‑by‑field Spanish labeling checklist for frozen shrimp that clears COFEPRIS in 2026. Exact phrases, order, units, and the mistakes that trigger rejections. Focused on retail prepack (NOM‑051 + NOM‑242).

Hook

We’ve cleared Mexican customs on frozen shrimp labels for years, and the shipments that sail through have one thing in common: a label that matches NOM‑051 and NOM‑242 line by line. In our experience, 8 out of 10 detentions come from five fixable misses: missing importer RFC, wrong date type, no drained weight for glazed shrimp, species name errors, and front‑of‑pack confusion. Here’s the exact 2026 checklist we use on every retail pack.

The 3 pillars of fast compliance

Standards alignment. NOM‑051 (general prepack foods) + NOM‑242 (fishery products) both apply to retail frozen shrimp. Build your label against both. Don’t cherry‑pick.
Spanish, measurable, verifiable. Every field must be Spanish‑language, metric, and provable with documents. If you glaze, you declare drained net. If you say vannamei, you list Litopenaeus vannamei.
Pre‑verify before print. We run a two‑step check: importer data and RFC confirmed in writing, and a mockup reviewed against a COFEPRIS/NOM‑051 checklist with a local partner. This avoids “fix‑at‑warehouse” dramas.

Practical takeaway: Treat Mexico labels as engineering, not design. Specs first, layout second.

Week 1–2: Research and validation (what to lock before artwork)

Define the commercial presentation. HOSO, HLSO, PUD, PD, tail‑on/off, cooked vs raw, marinade or brine. Any added ingredient changes labeling.
Confirm species and country. Example: Camarón blanco (Litopenaeus vannamei) or Camarón tigre (Penaeus monodon). Origin: Indonesia.
Decide date type and code logic. Frozen raw shrimp normally uses “Consumo preferente” (best before), not “Fecha de caducidad.” Align lot code format and placement.
Nail net content approach. If there is protective glaze, you must declare drained net. Decide glaze percentage, target net and drained net weights.
Importer details. Full legal name, address, and RFC exactly as in SAT. Without the RFC on the label, COFEPRIS will stop it.
Nutritional panel plan. For raw single‑ingredient seafood, the table is often considered exempt, but we include a small tabular declaration to avoid debates unless your importer confirms exemption in writing.

Does frozen shrimp need NOM‑051 front‑of‑pack warnings in Mexico?

Usually no for plain raw shrimp with no added sodium, sugars, or fats. The FOP octagons apply when thresholds are exceeded. Plain raw shrimp typically has low fat and no free sugars. The risk is added salt in brines or value‑added recipes. If you add brine, marinade, breading, or sauces, run the nutrient profile and apply seals if thresholds are met (commonly “Exceso de sodio” or “Exceso de calorías” in breaded formats). We advise documenting the formulation and lab values.

Is the scientific name required on seafood labels in Mexico?

Yes. NOM‑242 requires the common and scientific name. For example: Camarón blanco (Litopenaeus vannamei) or Camarón tigre (Penaeus monodon). COFEPRIS checks this, and mismatches are a common reason for holds.

Which date format should we use: caducidad or consumo preferente?

For frozen raw shrimp, use “Consumo preferente” with a day/month/year or month written out. “Fecha de caducidad” is for products that pose a health risk shortly after the date. Example: Consumo preferente: 30/11/2026. Whatever you choose, keep it consistent across artworks and production.

Week 3–6: Artwork creation and testing (field‑by‑field in Spanish)

Below is the field order we’ve found clears fastest. Keep everything in Spanish, clear type, and metric units.

Denominación del producto: Camarón crudo congelado [forma de presentación: HOSO/HLSO/PD/PUD, cola ON/OFF].
Nombre común y científico: Camarón blanco (Litopenaeus vannamei) o Camarón tigre (Penaeus monodon).
Ingredientes: Camarón. Si hay glaseado/mezcla: Camarón, agua. Si hay sal o aditivos, declárelos por orden decreciente.
Alérgenos: Contiene crustáceos (camarón). Puede contener trazas de pescado y moluscos. (si aplica)
País de origen: Producto de Indonesia. o País de origen: Indonesia.
Contenido neto: X g o X kg. Si hay glaseado: Contenido neto drenado: X g. (Declare ambos. Ejemplo: Contenido neto: 1000 g. Contenido neto drenado: 900 g.)
Calibre/tamaño: 31/40 piezas/lb (aprox. 68–88 piezas/kg). Use la categoría real que corresponda al control de calidad.
Instrucciones de conservación: Mantener congelado a −18 °C o menor. No recongelar una vez descongelado.
Instrucciones de uso: Cocinar completamente antes de consumir. (para producto crudo)
Lote: LXXXXXX (imprimible en línea). Asegure trazabilidad con formato consistente.
Consumo preferente: DD/MM/AAAA. Evite el formato MM/DD.
Información nutrimental: Porción 100 g. Energía XXX kJ (XXX kcal). Proteínas XX g. Grasas totales X g. Carbohidratos X g. Sodio XXX mg. (Inclúyalo salvo que el importador documente la exención).
Importador en México: Importado por: [Razón social], RFC: [RFC], [domicilio completo].
Responsable en origen (opcional pero útil): Envasado por: PT FoodHub Collective Indonesia, [dirección].
Leyendas adicionales si aplican: Producto sujeto a pérdida natural de peso. Imagen de carácter ilustrativo.

What’s interesting is how often “glaze” trips teams up. If your shrimp is glazed, COFEPRIS expects the drained net on label. We also add the actual glaze percent to specs and QC sheets so your importer can prove it if asked. Top-down view of shrimp draining in a metal colander over a bowl with water dripping, next to a separate pile of still-glazed frozen shrimp with a frosty surface, illustrating the difference between glazed and drained product.

Example label block you can adapt: Camarón crudo congelado (HLSO). Camarón blanco (Litopenaeus vannamei). Ingredientes: Camarón, agua. Alérgenos: Contiene crustáceos (camarón). País de origen: Indonesia. Contenido neto: 1000 g. Contenido neto drenado: 900 g. Calibre: 31/40 piezas/lb (aprox. 68–88 piezas/kg). Mantener congelado a −18 °C o menor. No recongelar una vez descongelado. Cocinar completamente antes de consumir. Lote: L2409MX01. Consumo preferente: 30/11/2026. Información nutrimental (100 g): Energía 330 kJ (79 kcal); Proteínas 18 g; Grasas totales 1 g; Carbohidratos 0 g; Sodio 150 mg. Importado por: Importadora XYZ, S.A. de C.V. RFC: XYZ123456AB1. Av. Siempre Viva 123, Álvaro Obregón, CDMX, C.P. 01234.

What net content units are mandatory on Mexican labels for shrimp?

Metric only for the mandatory declaration. Use g or kg. You can add count ranges as supplemental info. For glazed shrimp, include both Contenido neto and Contenido neto drenado. If you show imperial counts (e.g., 21/25 per lb), mirror it with an approximate metric count per kg to help reviewers.

Do I have to print the importer’s RFC on the label, or is a sticker acceptable?

Yes, the importer’s RFC must appear with the importer name and address. A high‑quality Spanish sticker applied before the product is released into commerce is acceptable and standard practice. It must adhere firmly at frozen temperatures and be legible. We avoid overlapping the original mandatory fields.

Need a quick Spanish mockup tailored to your pack size and cut? Share your spec and we’ll send a compliant draft you can iterate on together. If you want us to pre‑review your artwork against NOM‑051/NOM‑242 line items, just Contact us on whatsapp.

Week 7–12: Scale and optimize (so every shipment clears)

Run a pilot lot with a verification checklist. Have your importer’s QA sign off on the first production batch and keep photos of applied labels on cases and retail packs.
Standardize lot/date coding. COFEPRIS loves consistency. Fix your code map in an SOP and train line operators.
Plan for FOP exceptions. Any value‑added SKU with salt or breading needs a nutrient calc and, if thresholds are exceeded, octagon icons sized per NOM‑051. Keep vector files ready so design doesn’t stall.
Relabel protocol. If you must fix a field after packing, do it in the bonded warehouse under your importer’s control, and be ready for a Unidad de Verificación review. It’s feasible, but it costs days.

Can we relabel at the Mexican customs warehouse if our sticker is missing something?

Yes, with the importer’s logistics and warehouse authorization. Many teams correct minor issues there. But expect extra fees and 2–4 days of delay if a verification unit gets involved. We treat warehouse relabeling as a last resort and prefer a pre‑shipment photo audit of live labels.

The 5 biggest mistakes that kill shipments (and how to avoid them)

Missing RFC or wrong legal name. Get the importer data in writing and paste it verbatim.
Using “Fecha de caducidad” on frozen raw shrimp. Use “Consumo preferente” unless your importer’s regulatory team specifies otherwise.
No drained net for glazed products. Declare both net and drained net. Document glaze % in QC.
Species mislabeling. Don’t write “camarón” only. Add the scientific name. If species vary, say so and list the options you actually ship.
FOP confusion. Plain raw shrimp rarely needs seals. Breaded or salted recipes often do. Decide early and place icons correctly if needed.

We’ve also seen avoidable rejects for imperial‑only weights, English‑only labels, unreadable micro‑type, and US‑style date formats. Small fixes. Big headaches if you miss them.

Resources and next steps

Building a Mexico line‑up? See our Frozen Shrimp (Black Tiger, Vannamei & Wild Caught). The same labeling logic applies to our IQF whitefish lines, which you can browse here: View our products.
Have a tricky SKU with brine or marinade and not sure about FOP seals or sodium thresholds? Send the spec and we’ll sanity‑check your label plan with our 2026 checklist. Quick questions welcome — Contact us on whatsapp.

Final takeaway: If you lock species, drained net, origin, importer + RFC, best‑before, and the allergen line in clean Spanish, you’ll clear most COFEPRIS reviews on the first try. The rest is discipline — and we’re happy to share our working templates when you’re ready.