Provincial food registration: RNE and RNPA when food is processed in Argentina
When food is manufactured, packed or repackaged in Argentina, even from imported inputs, the plant and its products are registered with the health authority of the province or of the City of Buenos Aires (CABA) where the establishment is located: ASSAL in Santa Fe, DIPA in Buenos Aires Province, the Directorate General of Food Hygiene and Safety in CABA, among others. If only finished product is imported, registration is with SENASA: see the RNE for importers.
- Agency
- Provinces and CABA
- Estimated timing
- Decree 697/2026 sets 30 days for the competent authority to decide on product authorization; after that period, the product can be sold with the filing number while the decision is pending. For the establishment: [COMPLETAR], varies by jurisdiction.
- Official fee
- [COMPLETAR]
- Our fee
- Tailored quote
Why it is mandatory
Decree 2126/71, as amended by Decree 697/2026, establishes that a product authorization request is filed with the provincial or CABA health authority according to the location of the manufacturing or packing plant. Each province and CABA designates that body.
An authorization obtained in one jurisdiction is valid nationwide: with plants in several provinces, each authority only checks that its plant can make the product. It is the approval that allows the product to be sold and remain on the national market.
Provinces report their licenses to SENASA's registry and to the Single Database (Decree 815/99, arts. 21 and 26, as amended by Decree 697/2026). This matters to you if you ship bulk ingredients or private-label product that your partner packs locally.
What the regulation says
«La solicitud de autorización a que se refiere este artículo deberá ser presentada en formulario informático para todo el país de acuerdo al modelo que establezca la Autoridad Sanitaria Nacional competente ante la Autoridad Sanitaria Provincial o de la CIUDAD AUTÓNOMA DE BUENOS AIRES, según corresponda de acuerdo al lugar en que se encuentre la planta de elaboración o fraccionamiento.»Unofficial translation: “The authorization request referred to in this article must be filed using a nationwide electronic form, following the model set by the competent National Health Authority, before the Health Authority of the Province or of the AUTONOMOUS CITY OF BUENOS AIRES, as applicable according to where the manufacturing or packing plant is located.”
«Las infracciones a las disposiciones del Código Alimentario Argentino, a las de esta ley y a las de sus disposiciones reglamentarias serán sancionadas por la autoridad sanitaria que corresponde de acuerdo con el artículo 2°, previo sumario, con audiencia de prueba y defensa de los presuntos infractores, conforme al procedimiento de cada jurisdicción.»Unofficial translation: “Violations of the provisions of the Argentine Food Code, of this law and of its regulations shall be sanctioned by the health authority competent under article 2, after administrative proceedings with the opportunity for evidence and defense of the alleged offenders, according to each jurisdiction's procedure.”
Rules that require it
- Ley 18.284 y Dec. 2126/1971 (Código Alimentario Argentino): General framework: every food manufactured, packed, imported or sold must comply with the CAA.
- Dec. 697/2026 (BO 03/08/2026): Concentrates in SENASA the registration, control and oversight of CAA foods and removes INAL from the National Food Control System. Recognizes previous licenses and registrations as valid without re-registration (art. 32).
- Listado de autoridades sanitarias jurisdiccionales (ANMAT): Food control bodies of each province and of CABA.
- Guía de trámites de seguridad alimentaria (AGC, CABA): RNE, RNPA and packaging registration with the Directorate General of Food Hygiene and Safety.
- Dirección de Industrias y Productos Alimenticios (Prov. de Buenos Aires): Body that keeps the RNE and RNPA registries in Buenos Aires Province.
Products covered
Bodies we have confirmed in official sources:
- CABA: Directorate General of Food Hygiene and Safety, within the Government Control Agency (handles RNE, RNPA and packaging).
- Buenos Aires Province: Directorate of Food Industries and Products (DIPA), Ministry of Agricultural Development.
- Santa Fe: Santa Fe Food Safety Agency (ASSAL).
- Córdoba: Directorate General of Food Industry Control.
- Mendoza: Directorate of Agro-industrial Oversight, Control and Technology.
- Neuquén, Salta, San Juan and Tierra del Fuego: their food control or bromatology areas, according to the official list of jurisdictional authorities.
Requirements and documents
Requirements vary by jurisdiction. In general they include:
- Municipal permit for the establishment.
- Plant layout and descriptive report.
- A technical director when the category requires one.
- Per product: composition, specifications, process, packaging, shelf life and label, using the single form set by the national authority (Decree 2126/71, Annex II, art. 3). Specifications of imported inputs may have to come from their foreign supplier.
- Proof of payment of the provincial fee.
Official fees and timing
| Concept | Amount | Valid | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Establishment registration (RNE) with the provincial or CABA authority | [COMPLETAR] | [COMPLETAR] | Varía por jurisdicción |
| Product registration (RNPA) with the provincial or CABA authority | [COMPLETAR] | [COMPLETAR] | Varía por jurisdicción |
Each jurisdiction sets its own fees. Decree 697/2026 provides for agreements between SENASA and the provinces with 'equal fee for equal service', but we have not confirmed that they are in force. The municipal permit and the technical director are not provincial fees and are quoted separately.
Estimated timing
Decree 697/2026 sets 30 days for the competent authority to decide on product authorization; after that period, the product can be sold with the filing number while the decision is pending. For the establishment: [COMPLETAR], varies by jurisdiction.
Depends on: The jurisdiction, the plant inspection and complete documentation.
Our fee is quoted in writing for your case: upload your documents below and get a tailored quote.
Already have part of the documents? Upload them and get a quote.
How we handle it remotely
Jurisdiction
We define which body applies based on where the plant or packing facility is located.
File
We build the establishment and product documentation with your partner, using that jurisdiction's forms, and request any specification needed from you.
Filing
We file through the agency's digital channels and follow the case.
Inspection
If the province inspects, we prepare the plant team for the visit: it is the only step that may be in person, and it takes place at the plant itself.
Registration numbers
The RNE and RNPA are delivered, valid for selling nationwide.
Risks of not having it
- Manufacturing or packing without a licensed establishment exposes the operation to closure and seizure by the local authority.
- Products without an RNPA cannot circulate outside the jurisdiction or be sold through national chains.
- SENASA can inspect establishments throughout the country, licensed or not (Decree 2126/71, Annex II, art. 14, as amended by Decree 697/2026).
- Provinces report sanctions to the national registry: a local infringement becomes visible to the whole system.
15+ years with Argentine agencies
In Argentina, food plants and their products are first approved by the provincial health authority where the plant sits, and no two provinces ask for the same thing: agency, forms, fees and warehouse criteria all vary. With more than 15 years working across jurisdictions, fully remotely, we map each province's requirements, build the file accordingly and follow it until the registration number is issued.
Frequently asked questions
When is it the province and when is it SENASA?
If finished product is imported and sold as is, the filing is with SENASA, which handles registration of imported food. If food is manufactured, packed or repackaged in a plant in Argentina, owned or third-party, the establishment and products are registered with the health authority of the province or CABA where that plant is located.
Is a provincial RNPA valid nationwide?
Yes. Decree 2126/71, as amended by Decree 697/2026, establishes that an authorization obtained in one jurisdiction is valid in all others. If the product is made in another province, that authority only checks that the plant there meets the Food Code for that product.
Does anyone need to travel to the province?
No. We handle the procedure 100% remotely, from anywhere in Argentina or abroad, through each agency's digital channels. The only possible in-person step is the plant inspection, attended by the plant's own team. We have no offices in the provinces and none are needed.
My partner repacks imported food. Which registration applies?
Repacking is a manufacturing activity under the Food Code. The partner needs its establishment licensed by its province or CABA and an RNPA for each repacked product. To import the bulk input, the notice or import authorization with SENASA also applies, depending on origin.
Did anything change for provinces after INAL was dissolved?
Provinces remain health authorities within their jurisdictions. What changed is the national agency: SENASA supervises the system, keeps the single registry and the Single Database, and must set up a nationwide IT system within 180 days (Decree 697/2026). Forms may change during that transition.
Related procedures
RNE: establishment registration
The RNE (National Establishment Registry) is the registration of the importing company and of each warehouse where food or packaging is stored.
SENASARNPA: product registration
The RNPA (National Food Product Registry) is the number that identifies each food product authorized in Argentina.
SENASAFood contact materials
Food contact materials authorization allows packaging, films, tableware, kitchen utensils, flasks, bottles and any material that touches food to be sold in Argentina.
Get a tailored quote for provincial food registrations
If you already have experience and want a competitive quote to compare, or to optimize costs and timing, send us your background documents and we quote with priority.
- 1Upload your documents and tell us about the product.
- 2We review them against the regulation that applies.
- 3You receive a written quote and, if something is missing, the exact list.
- 15+ years with Argentine agencies
- Fully remote, nationwide
- Official fees published with source
- Reply within 6 hours
- Experience with every agency
Quick question instead?