ALTO EN Labels: Chile Food Labeling Law Guide
Learn Chile ALTO EN warning label rules under Ley 20.606, including calories, sugar, saturated fat and sodium thresholds, exemptions and restrictions.
ALTO EN warning labels are mandatory on packaged foods sold in Chile that exceed specified limits for energy, sugars, saturated fat or sodium where the relevant nutrient has been added. Chile introduced the world's first mandatory front-of-pack nutrition warning system under Ley 20.606, implemented through amendments to the national food regulation, Decreto 13/2015 modifying the Reglamento Sanitario de los Alimentos.
The system took effect in June 2016 and reached its final, strictest thresholds in June 2019. Foods that trigger the rules must carry black octagonal "ALTO EN" warnings on the front of the package. The model later influenced systems adopted in Peru, Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay and other countries.
The four ALTO EN warning octagons
Chile's system uses four possible warnings:
- ALTO EN CALORÍAS: high in calories
- ALTO EN AZÚCARES: high in sugars
- ALTO EN GRASAS SATURADAS: high in saturated fat
- ALTO EN SODIO: high in sodium
Each warning is displayed as a black octagon with white text and border, with "Ministerio de Salud" (MINSAL) beneath the warning.
A single product can, and often does, carry more than one octagon. A product exceeding the applicable thresholds for sugars, sodium and saturated fat, for example, can display three separate warnings on its principal face.
The regulation prescribes the stop-sign geometry, minimum sizes scaled according to the main display panel, and placement on the principal face. Nothing can be superimposed on the warnings or obscure them.
ALTO EN thresholds in force since June 2019
Chile introduced its thresholds in three stages, beginning in 2016, tightening them in 2018 and reaching the final limits in June 2019.
| Nutrient | Solids (per 100 g) | Liquids (per 100 ml) |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | ≥ 275 kcal | ≥ 70 kcal |
| Sugars | ≥ 10 g | ≥ 5 g |
| Saturated fat | ≥ 4 g | ≥ 3 g |
| Sodium | ≥ 400 mg | ≥ 100 mg |
The phased approach deliberately gave manufacturers time to reformulate as the limits became stricter.
An important feature of the system is its measurement basis. The thresholds are assessed per 100 g or 100 ml as sold, rather than according to an arbitrary serving size.
That makes nutrient-dense products such as cookies, chocolate and cured meats particularly exposed. A small labeled serving does not reduce the concentration used to determine whether an ALTO EN warning is triggered.
The "added nutrient" trigger under Ley 20606
One of the most important details of Ley 20606 is that exceeding a numerical threshold does not by itself tell you whether an octagon is required.
The warnings apply to foods where the relevant critical nutrient, or an ingredient supplying that nutrient, has been added during processing.
Foods that exceed a threshold entirely because of naturally occurring nutrients are generally outside the system. Examples include plain nuts and their naturally occurring fat, or unsweetened dairy and its naturally occurring lactose. Unprocessed single-ingredient foods are also generally outside the scheme.
This distinction can directly affect reformulation.
If you reformulate a food to remove all added sugars, the ALTO EN AZÚCARES octagon can disappear even when the finished product still contains some intrinsic sugar.
The first compliance question is therefore not simply whether your product exceeds the number in the threshold table. You also need to determine whether the nutrient that exceeds the threshold falls within the added-nutrient trigger.
Chile food labeling law goes beyond the package warning
Chile's food labeling law does much more than require a symbol on the front panel. Products carrying any ALTO EN octagon face additional marketing and sales restrictions.
These include:
- No advertising directed at children under 14, including cartoon mascots, characters, toys and interactive hooks on the package itself.
- No sale or promotion inside schools and nurseries.
- Restrictions on television advertising hours for high-in products.
- No free samples or child-targeted promotions for foods carrying octagons.
These restrictions explain why cartoon cereal mascots famously disappeared from products on Chilean shelves.
For a brand built around characters or other child-focused creative elements, triggering an octagon therefore has commercial consequences far beyond adding a black warning to the artwork.
The policy has also produced measurable effects. Post-implementation studies documented significant reductions in purchases of high-in beverages and widespread reformulation as manufacturers reduced sugar and sodium to get below the applicable thresholds.
For product developers, that makes the thresholds practical formulation targets.
A cookie containing 4.2 g saturated fat per 100 g and one containing 3.9 g per 100 g can be only one reformulation apart but occupy very different commercial positions. One carries a black stop sign on the shelf and loses its mascot, while the other does not.
Compliance workflow for ALTO EN labels
Because Chile tests the thresholds per 100 g of the finished food, you need an accurate composite nutrient profile before you can determine which octagons apply.
A practical workflow is:
- Build the complete formulation in recipe management.
- Calculate the finished product's nutrient profile per 100 g or 100 ml as sold.
- Check energy, sugars, saturated fat and sodium against the applicable thresholds in the table above.
- Determine whether the relevant nutrient or an ingredient supplying it was added during processing.
- Identify each ALTO EN octagon the finished product triggers.
- Account for the related marketing and school restrictions before finalizing the package and promotional materials.
The NFL generator renders the Chilean panel with the appropriate octagons automatically.
Chile's system also sits alongside several related Latin American front-of-package schemes. Compare it with Mexico's NOM-051 octagons and Argentina's Ley 27.642, which use PAHO-derived thresholds and differ in important details. All three markets are listed on the coverage page.
ALTO EN frequently asked questions
Do imported products need Chilean ALTO EN octagons?
Yes. The requirements apply to packaged foods sold in Chile regardless of where the products were manufactured. Importers typically apply compliant Chilean labels, including any required ALTO EN warnings, before the products reach retail. Customs and health authorities enforce the requirements at the point of sale.
Are any foods exempt from Chile's octagon system?
Yes. Unprocessed and single-ingredient foods without added critical nutrients, foods where the threshold nutrient occurs only naturally, and certain categories such as foods for special medical purposes fall outside the system. Bulk unpackaged foods are also outside the warning-label requirements.
Does exceeding an ALTO EN threshold always require an octagon?
No. The added-nutrient trigger matters. The warnings apply where the relevant critical nutrient, or an ingredient supplying it, has been added during processing. A food that exceeds a threshold solely because of naturally occurring nutrients can therefore be treated differently from a formulated product that reaches the same numerical value through added ingredients.
How is Chile's system different from Mexico's?
Chile uses fixed per-100 g or per-100 ml thresholds and four ALTO EN octagons. Mexico's NOM-051 follows the PAHO nutrient profile model with energy-percentage criteria and also includes a trans fat seal plus sweetener and caffeine advisories. Passing Chile's system does not mean the same product will pass Mexico's requirements.
Check your product against Chile's thresholds by entering the recipe in the free generator and previewing the required octagons before the artwork goes to production.
