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Measures for Nutri-Grade Beverages

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This page provides a comprehensive guide for companies on the Nutri-Grade measures and labelling requirements for beverages sold in Singapore. For more information on how consumers can utilise Nutri-Grade to make more informed drink choices, click here.

The Nutri-Grade labelling and advertising prohibition measures for beverages sold in Singapore in pre-packaged form and from non-customisable automated beverage dispensers have come into effect on 30 December 2022.

From 30 December 2023, these requirements will be extended to freshly prepared beverages intended for sale at specified settings in Singapore. Additional labelling requirements will also be introduced to beverages under the current Nutri-Grade measures.

On this page: 
- Need for Measures
- Details of Measures
- Nutri-Grade calculator
- Resources for Download
- Other references


The Need for Measures

Diabetes is a serious health concern in Singapore. The number of Singapore residents with diabetes is projected to reach one million by 2050, if nothing is done.In response to the significant health and societal burden posed by diabetes, MOH launched the War on Diabetes in 2016 to mobilise a whole-of-society effort to tackle the disease.

High sugar intake is linked to increased risk of obesity and diabetes. A 2021 local meta-analysis which included studies on Asian populations found that higher consumption of sugary beverages was associated with a 51% higher risk of diabetes, compared to lower consumption.The World Health Organization (WHO) has called on countries to take action to reduce individuals’ intake of sugar to as low as possible, stating that “nutritionally, people do not need any sugar in their diet”.3,4

However, Singaporeans are consuming on average twelve teaspoons (or 58g) of sugar daily.More than half of Singaporeans’ daily sugar intake comes from beverages, of which pre-packaged beverages contribute 64 per cent and freshly prepared beverages contribute 36 per cent. More needs to be done to further reduce Singaporeans’ sugar intake.


About the Measures for Nutri-Grade Beverages

The Singapore Government decided to introduce mandatory nutrition labels and advertising prohibitions for Nutri-Grade beverages, after carefully considering the feedback received from public, industry and expert stakeholders, and reviewing existing overseas and local evidence. Together, these measures aim to help consumers identify beverages that are higher in sugar and saturated fat and to reduce the influence of advertising on consumer preferences, thus encouraging more informed, healthier choices and spurring industry reformulation. 

The regulations for beverages in pre-packaged form and non-customisable beverages from automated beverage dispensers sold in Singapore, came into effect on 30 December 2022. MOH and HPB have published the additional measures in the Government Gazette on 30 June 2023, to have them come into effect six months thereafter, on 30 December 2023.

The additional measures from 30 December 2023 will apply to freshly prepared and existing Nutri-Grade beverages sold in specified settings, which include (i) retail settings such as food and beverage (F&B) outlets and catering establishments, and (ii) non-retail settings such as hotels, workplaces, educational institutions, healthcare institutions and childcare facilities.

A summary of the new requirements for Nutri-Grade measures can be found in here. Companies must still refer to the relevant legislation in the Food Regulations and the Specifications of the Nutri-Grade mark and Sugar Declaration for the technical requirements for the measures. The regulations and specifications for the additional measures can be found under "Resources".

“What is considered a Nutri-Grade beverage?”

Nutri-Grade beverages include:

  1. Pre-packaged beverages that are ready-to-consume and are packed or made up in advance ready for sale in packages such as bottles, cans, cartons, packets or other similar containers 
  2. Pre-packaged beverages that are powders or concentrates that are meant to be reconstituted or diluted with fluids before consumption as a beverage (e.g. 3-in-1 instant coffee beverage, cordials); and
  3. Non-customisable beverages dispensed from automated beverage dispensers, which are machines that dispense non-prepacked beverages according to a pre-fixed formula, with no option for a prospective consumer of the beverage to customize the amount of any ingredient in the beverage. This includes fountain drinks and beverages dispensed from automated coffee machines.
  4. [New from 30 December 2023] Freshly prepared beverages that are prepared by hand at the place/premise where they are sold, or those that can be customised by the consumer, such as freshly brewed coffee or tea, freshly squeezed juices, freshly blended smoothies, bubble tea, freshly prepared herbal drinks,
  5. [New from 30 December 2023] Customisable beverages dispensed from automated beverage dispensers (this includes coffee machines that allow choice of sugar level or creamer).

Alcoholic beverages and special purpose foods are excluded from the definition of  “Nutri-Grade beverages”.

Grading System for Nutri-Grade Beverages

All Nutri-Grade beverages will be graded using a single set of thresholds for sugar and saturated fat content (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Nutri-Grade Grading System

fig1 for NG website

The Healthier Choice Symbol (HCS) and Healthier Dining Programme (HDP) guidelines are aligned with the Nutri-Grade mark, such that all drinks under the HCS and HDP programmes are either Grade A or B. Explore our Nutri-Grade A & B Drink Directory

Mandatory Nutri-Grade mark for beverages graded C or D

The mandatory nutrition label, called “Nutri-Grade”, has four colour-coded grades. Grade A, corresponding to the lowest sugar and saturated fat thresholds, is in green. Grade D, corresponding to the highest sugar and saturated fat thresholds, is in red. Please refer to the Usage Guide in the "Resources" section below, for the specific Pantones.

In addition to the grades, the sugar level of the beverage is shown clearly on the label in the form of percentage of total volume.

Nutri-Grade beverages graded "C" or "D" must be labelled with a Nutri-Grade mark on the front-of-pack of its package for pre-packaged products or [new from 30 December 2023] labelled next to freshly prepared beverages listed for sale, such as on physical or online menus at their point of purchase. Labelling of the Nutri-Grade mark is optional for Nutri-Grade beverages graded 'A" or "B", and companies can choose to label such products with the voluntary HCS or HDP identifier and/or the Nutri-Grade mark. 

To better help consumers in their decision making when selecting beverages from menus, a simplified Nutri-Grade mark has been developed and is to be placed next to the individual beverage listings from end 2023. Toppings that can be added to freshly prepared Nutri-Grade beverages, must be labelled with a declaration of sugar content on menus, posters, signs and other materials. The Nutri-Grade and Sugar Declaration for Toppings marks are illustrated in Figure 2.

Figure 2. Illustration of Nutri-Grade mark variants for Nutri-Grade beverages and Sugar Declaration Mark for Toppings

fig2 for NG website

Note: the sugar levels in the images are for illustrative purposes only. The actual sugar level to be indicated on the mark should correspond to the sugar content of each beverage.

Mandatory Provision of Nutrition Information

To facilitate implementation of the measures, all Nutri-Grade beverages are also required to provide its nutrition information, specifying the energy value, the amounts of protein, carbohydrate, total sugar, fat and saturated fat. Additional declaration of other nutrients (e.g. lactose/galactose) is also allowed. Only lactose or galactose declared on the NIP would be subtracted from the amount of total sugar for the purpose of Nutri-Grade grading. Where lactose and galactose are not declared on the NIP, their respective amounts are taken as zero.    

Companies are responsible to ensure that the Nutri-Grade mark (if required) and NIP are applied to their products in accordance to the regulations. The images for the Nutri-Grade mark can be downloaded in the “Resources” section below. Companies will not be required to register any product artwork or submit any test result prior to applying the Nutri-Grade mark. Post-market surveillance will be conducted by the relevant authorities to ensure that the regulations are complied with. 

Advertising Prohibitions

Advertisements of Nutri-Grade beverages graded "D", are prohibited across all media platforms (e.g. broadcast, print, out-of-home, on-ground, online) except for advertisements of pre-packaged beverages at point-of-sale (POS) platforms within variety shops (e.g., supermarkets, convenience stores). POS advertisements for pre-packaged Nutri-Grade beverages graded "D" are permitted within variety shops (e.g. promotional signage at supermarkets), but these materials must display the beverage’s Nutri-Grade mark clearly.

Brand advertisements that do not feature any particular product, and advertisements that promote the sale of Nutri-Grade beverages graded "A", "B" or "C" are allowed.

Concession for Smaller Food Businesses

To ensure a smooth transition in implementation, we will first provide a concession to individuals and entities running smaller food businesses that involve the sale or supply of freshly prepared Nutri-Grade beverages, if they (i) earn a revenue of not more than S$1 million in the latest financial year, and (ii) sell or supply those beverages at fewer than 10 food premises. This is in view of the challenges such individuals and entities may face, such as a lack of resources to determine the grading of the beverages being sold. We will review this concession over time and make the necessary adjustments.

These individuals and entities will still be required to comply with the measures for existing Nutri-Grade beverages in pre-packaged form and non-customisable beverages dispensed from vending machines and automatic beverage dispensers.

Nutri-Grade calculator 

The Calculator is available to help industry and consumers easily determine the grade of Nutri-Grade beverages. The Calculator should always be used in conjunction with the Food Regulations and Industry Guidance Documents, which provide important guidance and explanations. 
 

Which Nutri-Grade mark should I use? 

  • 1Input use of non-sugar substitutes
  • 2Input sugar level
  • 3Input saturated fat level
  • 4Results
  • Input use of non-sugar substitutes
  • Does the Nutri-Grade beverage contain any non-sugar substitutes1 ?

    1This refers to any aspartame, sugar alcohol, carbohydrate alcohol, polyhydric alcohol, or any other substance added in place of sugar to provide a sweet taste

    * This field is required

  • Input sugar level
  • Total sugar content2 stated on Nutrition Information Panel (NIP) (grams per 100 ml3)

    2This refers to any monosaccharide and disaccharide in the beverage. This includes novel sugars like allulose and isomaltulose.

    3For powders/concentrates meant to be reconstituted or diluted with fluids before consumption as a beverage, “100 ml” means 100 ml of the beverage as prepared, according to the manufacturer’s instructions on how to prepare the beverage, labelled on the product packaging.

    g/100ml

    * This field is required

  • Does the product’s NIP declare lactose and galactose content?

    * This field is required

  • Total lactose and galactose content stated on NIP (grams per 100 ml3)

    3For powders/concentrates meant to be reconstituted or diluted with fluids before consumption as a beverage, “100 ml” means 100 ml of the beverage as prepared, according to the manufacturer’s instructions on how to prepare the beverage, labelled on the product packaging.

    g/100ml

    * This field is required

  • Input saturated fat level
  • Saturated fat content stated on NIP (grams per 100 ml3)

    3For powders/concentrates meant to be reconstituted or diluted with fluids before consumption as a beverage, “100 ml” means 100 ml of the beverage as prepared, according to the manufacturer’s instructions on how to prepare the beverage, labelled on the product packaging.

    g/100ml

    * This field is required

  • Results
  • The product is of grade (A/B/C/D) and should apply the below Nutri-Grade mark.

    resultresultresultresult
    0%
    resultresultresultresult
    0%

    More details on the Nutri-Grade grading system, labelling and advertising requirements can be found in the Food Regulations and the Industry Guidance Documents, under the "Resources" section of this page.

Resources

Please refer to the Food Regulations for the relevant legislation effecting the Nutri-Grade measures on pre-packaged beverages and non-customisable beverages dispensed from automated beverage dispensers since 30 December 2022. For the additional measures that will come into effect on 30 December 2023, text of the relevant Amendment Regulations is available at Singapore Statutes Online

Please refer to important industry guidance documents and artwork here below. To download all the industry guidance documents, please click here.

1. Specifications of the Nutri-Grade mark and Sugar Declaration

The ‘Specifications of the Nutri-Grade mark and Sugar Declaration' document is mentioned by reference in Regulation 184D(5) of the Food Regulations, and contains important requirements for the Nutri-Grade and Sugar Declaration For Toppings marks. 

2. Industry Guidance Documents

These guidance documents are a general guide to the labelling and advertising requirements for Nutri-Grade beverages sold in Singapore. These are supplementary documents to the Food Regulations. Companies must still refer to relevant legislation in the Food Regulations and the Specifications of the Nutri-Grade mark for the technical requirements for the measures. 

We have released version 2.1 which replaces version 2.0 and serves as a guide to assist industry stakeholders to comply with the current Nutri-Grade measures in effect, and the additional measures coming into force from 30 December 2023. New requirements related to the additional measures are indicated in yellow highlights within the documents. 

A. Usage Guide for Graphic Applications of the Nutri-Grade Mark

English 
Chinese

B. Guidance for implementation of the labelling and advertising requirements for Nutri-Grade beverages

English
Chinese

3. Nutri-Grade mark

Download the images of the Nutri-Grade mark here. This zipped folder contains:

  • Full Nutri-Grade mark – horizontal and vertical variants for Grade A, B, C and D respectively. Horizontal variants should be used as the default, except in situations where application of the horizontal variant in accordance to the usage guide is not possible.
  • Simplified Nutri-Grade mark for Grade A, B, C and D respectively
  • Full colour-coded scale, to be used with the Simplified Nutri-Grade mark
  • Sugar Declaration for Toppings mark

These files for the Nutri-Grade mark can be opened in Adobe Illustrator (or other common graphic design formats) and are in high resolution for resizing (proportionate to the original ratio) and editing of the sugar % based on your product's sugar content. Please note that other forms of modification to the mark is not allowed. Please refer to the usage guide in item (2A) above, for more details regarding the specific applications.

The files are password protected. You may request permission to access these images here.

For other queries, you may contact the Health Promotion Board at the following email address: Nutri-Grade@hpb.gov.sg

4. About HPB’s collaboration with Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) to offer Nutri-Grade consultancy services

As part of HPB's continuous effort to assist the food & beverage (F&B) industry to comply with the Nutri-Grade regulations, HPB has collaborated with our local institutes of higher learning (IHL)s and their associates with expertise in food science and nutrition to offer consultancy services. The F&B industry, businesses, and the wider public may approach these institutions for consultancy services relating to the Nutri-Grade regulations. Some examples of services* offered may include: F&B labelling, product reformulation, compliance, and implementation of the Nutri-Grade measures.

  • Nanyang Polytechnic
  • Nanyang Technological University
  • National University of Singapore
  • Republic Polytechnic
  • Singapore Institute of Technology
  • Singapore Polytechnic (Food Innovation and Resource Centre (FIRC))
  • Temasek Polytechnic

* Consultancy fees may apply depending on services provided.

InstitutionNameAppointmentEmail address
Nanyang PolytechnicMs. Nur Azlina Djabar AliLecturer, School of Applied Sciencesnur_azlina_djabar_ali@nyp.edu.sg
Mrs. Ng Sin WeiLecturer, School of Applied Sciencesng_sin_wei@nyp.edu.sg
Dr. Gan Heng Hui(Adjunct) Food Safety Trainergan_heng_hui@myaccount.nyp.edu.sg
Nanyang Technological University (NTU), SingaporeAssoc Prof. Yusuf AliAssociate Professor, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicineyusuf.ali@ntu.edu.sg
Asst Prof. Kazuyuki KasaharaAssistant Professor, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicinekazuyuki.kasahara@ntu.edu.sg
National University of Singapore (NUS)Dr. Alvin LooLecturer, Department of Food Science & Technologyalvinloo@nus.edu.sg
Ms. Yang DimengScientific Officer, Department of Food Science & Technologydimeng.yang@nus.edu.sg
Republic PolytechnicMr. Eric KwekSenior Lecturereric_kwek@rp.edu.sg
Ms. Tan Yan PengLecturertan_yan_peng@rp.edu.sg
Singapore Institute of TechnologyAsst Prof. Scarlet LeeAssistant Professor, Faculty of Food, Chemical and Biotechnology Clusterscarlet.lee@singaporetech.edu.sg
Dr. Mabel WangCapability Development Lead, Professional Officers Divisionmabel.wang@singaporetech.edu.sg
Singapore Polytechnic, Food Innovation and Resource Centre (FIRC)Ms. Carolyn StephenLead Nutritionistfirc@sp.edu.sg
Ms. Wang LiangyuManager (Consumer Centric Innovation)firc@sp.edu.sg
Temasek PolytechnicMs. Siti Saifa Bte HussainLecturer, School of Applied Sciencesiti_saifa_hussain@tp.edu.sg
Ms. Saihah Mohamed SallehSenior Research Executive, School of Applied Sciencesaihah_mohamed_salleh@tp.edu.sg


Other references


More information on measures to reduce sugar consumptions from beverages can be found below:

  • Measures to reduce sugar consumption from beverages (Oct 2019 to Dec 2021)
  • Speech by Mr Ong Ye Kung, Minister For Health, At The 19th International Society For Peritoneal Dialysis Congress 2022 Opening Ceremony (Aug 2022)
  • Rollout of Nutri-Grade Mark on 30 December 2022 (Dec 2022)
  • Responses to prior industry feedback on additional measures in Feb-Mar 2022 (Feb 2023)
  • [Press Release] Extension of Nutri-Grade Requirements to Freshly Prepared Beverages from end 2023 (Feb 2023)
  • WTO Notification (23 Feb to 24 Apr 2023): A summary of key comments from industry stakeholders and the Government's clarifications and responses for the public consultation on the Food (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2023 And Sale of Food (Freshly Prepared Nutri-Grade Beverages - Exemption) Order 2023: Additional Measures For Nutri-Grade Beverages on REACH and SFA's websites
  • [Press release] Extension of Nutri-Grade measures to freshly prepared beverages from 30 December 2023 (Jun 2023) 

    Other public resources for understanding the Nutri-Grade mark can be found at Healthhub.

    Disclaimer
  • The images and information listed on this page are to serve as a general guide to the labelling and advertising requirements for Nutri-Grade beverages. Companies must still refer to the relevant legislation in the Food Regulations and the Specifications of the Nutri-Grade mark and Sugar Declaration for the technical requirements for the measures.

    References
    1. Phan TP, Alkema L, Tai ES, Tan KHX, Yang Q, Lim WY, Teo YY, Cheng CY, Wang X, Wong TY, Chia KS, Cook AR (2014) Forecasting the burden of type 2 diabetes in Singapore using a demographic epidemiological model of Singapore. BMJ Open Diabetes Research and Care. 2:e000012
    2. Neelakantan N, Park S.H., Chen GC, van Dam R.M (2021) Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, weight gain, and risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases in Asia: a systematic review. Nutrition Reviews, Vol. 00(0):1-18. [Notes: For the purpose of this study, “higher consumption” is defined as daily or almost daily consumption, with a median of 2 servings per day, and “lower consumption” is defined as rare or no consumption.]
    3. Sugar here refers to free sugars, which is defined by the WHO as sugars added to foods and drinks, and sugar that is naturally present in honey, syrups and fruit juices. These do not include the sugars present in whole fruit and vegetables or sugars present in milk (i.e. lactose and galactose).
    4. WHO (2016, Oct 11) WHO urges global action to curtail consumption and health impacts of sugary drinks [Press release] Retrieved from www.who.int/news-room/details/11-10-2016-who-urges-global-action-to-curtail-consumption-and-health-impacts-of-sugary-drinks
    5. National Nutrition Survey 2018/2019. Singapore: Health Promotion Board