If you grow or sell fresh chile and/or processed chile products and advertise it as New Mexico chile, you must register with the NMDA Standards and Consumer Services Division by completing the new online chile verification form.
What is the New Mexico Chile Advertising Act?
The Act is a state statute that makes it unlawful to advertise, label or sell chile peppers or products as New Mexico (or city, town, county, village, pueblo, mountain, river or other geographic feature located in New Mexico) chile unless the chile peppers or products were grown in New Mexico. "Chile pepper" is defined in the Act as " the fruit from Capsicum annuum." The most common types are red and green chile, Chimayo, Sandia, jalapeño, Anaheim pepper, bell pepper, cayenne, paprika, serrano, banana, de Arbol, pepperoncini, poblano and sweet pepper.
All chile vendors need to complete a verification form annually and prior to June 30. Before beginning the verification process, please have the following available:
- Name and mailing address of supplier/producer
- Clear and concise labels for each chile product (including UPCs)
- Location(s) of production/crop (for fresh chile growers)
- Type of chile grown
- All retail outlets supplied
To read the requirements in their entirety, visit the New Mexico Chile Verification and Record Requirements page.
You can complete the online Chile Vendor Verification Form here.
For a list of frequently asked questions please visit the New Mexico Advertising Act FAQ.
You can also view current vendors on NMDA's Chile Vendor public records.
To become a member of NMDA's Taste the Tradition program visit Elevate New Mexico's Logo Program.
- Roxanne M. Chepsongol, Division Director
Division of Standards and Consumer Services - Box 30005, MSC 3170
- Las Cruces, NM 88003-8005
- Phone: 575-646-1616
- Fax: 575-646-2361
- nmchile@nmda.nmsu.edu