Today's consumers are better educated, more health-conscious and want to know more about what they consume. A supermarket survey conducted by the Ministry of Health showed that 76% of respondents read the Nutrition Information Panel (NIP) and 70% are able to determine nutrient content using the NIP.

More importantly, 68% of shoppers had seen the Healthier Choice Symbol and more than three-quarters responded that they would use the symbol to make informed choices. By applying for the Symbol, your company stands to gain from the publicity that the Health Promotion Board gives to the understanding of the Symbol.

These nutrition guidelines are science-based and where possible, bench-marked against other countries implementing similar guidelines. HPB also engages key manufacturers to assess the technical feasibility of these guidelines. These guidelines are periodically reviewed and updated accordingly as and when the need arises.

The Healthier Choice Symbol is promoted using different platforms: the print media, mass media, programmes, exhibitions and community programmes: print media such as brochures, posters, postcards, television commercial, advertisements in newspapers and magazines.

Overseas health symbols may be issued to food products using criteria different from those in Singapore. There needs to be a standard criteria for all products that want to qualify for the Healthier Choice Symbol. In addition, Singaporeans are not family with health symbols from other countries. For these reasons, it is highly recommended that you apply for the Healthier Choice Symbol.

A final artwork printout in colour is acceptable. The exact duplicate of the design as well as the colours allocated for the actual printouts of the packaging are to be submitted for approval before mass production. You are advised that packaging should not be mass printed before approval because should there be any changes required, products may have to be withdrawn and the packaging of these products be reprinted.

An advertising code for the Healthier Choice Label Programme has been drawn up for your reference. Kindly refer to page HCS-7 of A Handbook on Nutrition Labelling (Singapore) before submitting your artwork for approval. Click here to download this handbook. However, please note that the advertising code is written for general issues.

There might be other concerns, which have to be evaluated individually. Therefore, please do not carry out printing and distribution until after the Board issues final approval for the artwork.

Yes, you can use sticker labels of the Healthier Choice Symbol as well as for the Nutrition Information Panel. However, printing of the sticker labels is at your own cost.

The Nutrition Information Panel format recommended by the Health Promotion Board must be used on products that carry the Healthier Choice Symbol. The Health Promotion Board’s public education efforts include teaching consumers to read this NIP format.

Refer to A Handbook on Nutrition Labelling (Singapore) and download the handbook for the requirements a Nutrition Information Panel should meet.

If the product is produced and packed overseas, laboratory reports from their country of origin are acceptable as long as the product is analysed by AOAC methods.

Refer to A Handbook on Nutrition Labelling (Singapore) and download the handbook for more information.

Each laboratory report should have the following information:

• Name of food product;
• Analysis of declared nutrients;
• Method of analysis / type of nutrient database;
• Name and address of laboratory or company, which conducted the analysis; and
• Contact name telephone number of the person from the food company and representative.

A product will only qualify for the Healthier Choice Symbol if it meets the nutrition guidelines for its category.

For example, a product that does not meet the criteria for saturated fat (i.e. contains too much saturated fat) will not qualify for the Healthier Choice Symbol even if it is high in “beneficial” nutrients (for example monounsaturated fat, calcium, or dietary fibre).

The requirement from Canada that fat and oils contain less than 12% saturated fat is most likely for products that want to qualify for a nutrient claim, i.e. that they are “low in saturated fat”.

The Healthier Choice Symbol is not a nutrient claim and accordingly, the guidelines for the various food categories may not be the same as those for nutrient claims.

If you change the type of feed used, you will need to submit a new laboratory report on the nutrient content of meat from animals fed with the new feed.

If you change the type of feed used, you will need to submit a new laboratory report on the nutrient content of meat from animals fed with the new feed.

The nutrient content of meat or poultry products with the Healthier Choice Symbol must be reanalysed at least once a year. If the nutrient content of your product does not change by more than 20%, you can continue to use the Healthier Choice Symbol.

All the poultry with skin will not qualify for the Healthier Choice Symbol even if the fat content is within the nutritional standards.

Yes, the Healthier Choice Symbol may be used together with symbols from other countries. However, it is the food company’s responsibility to ensure that their products qualify for the use of the symbol from other countries.

Products with different flavours can be considered as a single product for the purpose of application provided that the flavouring additives are non-nutritive or minor ingredients (e.g. fruit or nut essence) and the nutrient composition of the differently flavoured food products is the same.

Yes. Products of the same food composition but different physical shape can be considered as a single product for the purpose of application. However, this will only apply to products marketed under the same brand name.

Should the company produce identical products but market them under different brands, they would be required to make a separate application for each brand.