The basic piece of legislation dealing with food products and human health in Colombia is Law 9 of January 24, 1979 (see text of law on: www.invima.gov.co/normatividad/alimentos). All decrees and regulations produced since then are based on the above-mentioned Law.
Congressional Law 1122 of January 9, 2007 in article 34 establishes the areas of responsibilities for The National Institute for the Surveillance of Food and Medicines –INVIMA-, The Colombian sanitary regulatory agency (ICA) which is the Ministry of Agriculture’s agency responsible for sanitary and phyto-sanitary issues, State and Regional authorities.
The Colombian Government maintains control over imports through the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism (MOCIT). All responsibilities in dealing with Colombian foreign trade have been transferred to the MOCIT including the issuance of import licenses and the registration of imports. The Government of Colombia (GOC) has increased INVIMA and ICA’s inspection and food safety policy making role. GOC wants to create more specific rules for products or groups of products as well as to facilitate trade.
