Nutrition Labelling and Claims

All food labels, advertisements and materials that inform sales, cannot contain false or misleading information about the composition of foods or their ingredients, (Regulation 9).

Businesses must comply with the following regulations:

A. The use of edible fat or oil that contains partially hydrogenated oil is prohibited and must not be used as an ingredient in the manufacture of food (Regulation 36A). Learn more about the Ban on Partially Hydrogenated Oil (PHOs).

B. The labelling of certain food products, such as wholegrain or wholemeal bread, edible fats and oils, margarine, wholegrain foods and special purpose foods must comply with specified requirements (Regulations 40A, 53(2), 79, 91, 248).

Information on the Nutrition Information Panel (NIP) helps consumers to compare the nutrients among foods and can be declared in per 100g (or 100mL for liquid food) and/or per serving of the product. The declaration of “serving size” and “servings per package” will be required when the nutrients are declared on a per serving basis.

Under the Food Regulations, an NIP is required for pre-packaged food products that:

• carry a health or nutrition claim

• are edible fats and oils

• are Nutri-Grade beverages

• are special purpose foods

Where an NIP is required, the NIP must include the following list of nutrients and respective amounts, as well as any other nutrients associated with a health or nutrition claim made (Regulation 8A):

• energy value in kcal, kJ or both

• amount of Protein, in g

• amount of Fat, in g

• amount of Carbohydrate, in g

• amount of any other nutrient(s) that are the subject of a health or nutrition claim

All Nutri-Grade beverages are required to carry an NIP. This is in addition to the Nutri-Grade mark for Nutri-Grade C or D beverages. Learn more about the Nutri-Grade labelling, advertising prohibitions and generation of a Nutri-Grade mark for your pre-packaged product.

The Healthier Choice Symbol is a voluntary front-of-pack label for consumers to identify packaged food products that are healthier compared to other foods in the same category. Learn more information and application details for the HCS.

Labelling and marketing of infants’ food and formula must comply with the requirements specified within the Food Regulations as well as the Sale of Infant Food Ethics Committee Singapore (SIFECS) Code of Ethics, which guide practices of the Infant Food Industry as well as protect and promote the practice of breastfeeding.

Businesses should note that all labels, advertisements, and materials that inform sales for:

1. Infant food, excluding infant formula for ages 0-6 months, must not suggest that the food is appropriate for infants aged 6 months or younger (Regulations 251(2A)).

2. Infant formula, for ages 0 - 12 months, must not be directly compared with breast milk and businesses must avoid prohibited matters or idealised health claims (Regulation 254 (3)).

A health claim states, suggests, or implies that a relationship exists between consumption of a food product and health.

Examples include:

• Nutrient function claims which describe the health effect of a nutrient in growth, development and normal functions of the body e.g. “Calcium helps to build strong bones and teeth”.

• Other function claims which describe the health effects of other food constituents e.g. “Probiotics help in digestion”.

• Reduction of disease risk claims which describe the reduced risk of developing a disease or health-related condition when consuming a particular food as part of an overall healthy diet e.g. “A healthy diet rich in fibre-containing foods such as wholegrains, fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of some types of cancers”.

Note: New claims pertaining to reduction of disease risk, must be gazetted in the Food Regulations, before businesses may use them on their food products.

A nutrition claim states, suggests, or implies that a food has a nutritive property. Food labels containing nutrition claims must be supported by a Nutrition Information Panel.

Examples include claims like “High in fibre”, “Low in fat”, “Cholesterol-free” and “Sugar-free”.

We are now open to submissions for new health claims. If you or your company intends to submit an application, please refer to the industry guidance [PDF, 4.2 MB] to assist you in completing the application form [PDF, 277 KB].

Please note that all submissions will be subject to evaluation by an expert panel before a decision can be made. For any questions or assistance, feel free to contact us at: Health_Nutrition_Claims@hpb.gov.sg.