Ivory Coast tightens labeling requirements under the PVoC program

From now on, products that do not fully comply with the updated labeling rules will no longer be certified.

End of tolerance period

Until December 2025, a temporary tolerance allowed certain labeling discrepancies to be accepted during certification. This exception has now been withdrawn. Products that do not meet the updated requirements will not be certified.

What this means for your products

Foodstuffs, cosmetics, tobacco products, and pesticides

For these product categories:

• All mandatory markings and instructions must appear at least in French
• If the original label is not in French, an additional label must be applied containing all required information in French
• Any supplementary or replacement label must fully and accurately reflect the original label

Industrial and professional products

• All mandatory markings and instructions must appear in French or English
• If the original label is in neither French nor English, a secondary label must be added with all required information in French or English
• Replacement or supplementary labels must accurately reproduce the original label

Act now to avoid disruptions

Important: Even if your products are not yet subject to these mandatory requirements, early alignment is strongly recommended. Updating labels now helps avoid future non-compliance, shipment delays, and certification rejections. Failure to comply will result in rejection of certification requests.

Source: SGS - Update on Ivory Coast PVoC labeling requirements (MCI)