Rollout of Nutri-Grade Mark on 30 December 2022

       The mandatory nutrition labelling and advertising prohibition measures for beverages sold in Singapore in prepacked form and from automated beverage dispensers (collectively, “Nutri-Grade beverages”) will come into effect on 30 December 2022. Nutri-Grade beverages will be graded as “A”, “B”, “C” or “D”, according to their sugar and saturated fat content.

2.       The Nutri-Grade beverages include beverages prepacked in bottles, cans, cartons or packets; powders or concentrates such as 3-in-1 instant coffee beverage and cordials; and beverages dispensed from automated beverage dispensers such as fountain drinks and automated coffee machines.

3.       From 30 December 2022, consumers can expect to see the following:

         a) Nutri-Grade beverages graded “C” or “D” will be labelled with a Nutri-Grade mark, while labelling of beverages graded “A” or “B” and/or products endorsed with the Healthier Choice Symbol (HCS) is optional;

         b) Nutri-Grade beverages will carry a nutrition information panel (NIP) specifying the energy value, the amounts of protein, carbohydrate, fat, total sugar and saturated fat in the beverage; and

         c) Advertisements related to Nutri-Grade beverages graded “D” will be prohibited, except in certain circumstances detailed in regulation 184F(2) in the Food Regulations.

4.         Since the announcement of the nutrition labelling and advertising prohibition measures in October 2019, manufacturers have progressively labelled their products with Nutri-Grade marks, reformulated their beverages and introduced more lower-sugar and lower-fat choices ahead of the implementation date.

5.         Overall, the median sugar level of prepacked Nutri-Grade beverages has reduced from 7.1% in FY2017 to 4.6% in FY2021 and close to two-thirds of these beverages in the market are now graded “A” or “B”. This is more than double compared to FY2017, where only about 30% of prepacked Nutri-Grade beverages in the market would have been graded “A” or “B”. Currently, one in five beverages in the market is tagged with HCS. These beverages are also graded “A” or “B”.

6.         We have seen an encouraging increase in the sales of beverages which would have been graded “A” and “B”, from 37% in FY2017 to 71% in FY2021. There are now more healthier alternatives such as low- and zero-sugar options for sodas, Asian drinks and ready-to-drink teas. Some higher sugar juices have been reformulated through mixing with lower-sugar fruits and vegetables, or reconstituted to become a juice drink. The range of healthier all-in-one coffees and teas with lower saturated fat has also increased from 24% in FY2017 to 36% in FY2021.

7.         To reduce sugar intake, consumers are encouraged to limit their intake of beverages labelled “C” or “D”, and choose healthier beverages graded “A” or “B”, beverages labelled with HCS, or simply drink water instead.

8.         Consumers can find more information about Nutri-Grade including the list of healthier drinks graded “A” and “B” on HealthHub at https://go.gov.sg/nutri-grade. Consumers can also expect to see accompanying consumer educational messages at retail stores while shopping in the coming months.

9.         The Ministry of Health and Health Promotion Board will extend similar measures to freshly prepared beverages that are scheduled to come into effect by end of 2023. More details will be released later.

MINISTRY OF HEALTH
29 DECEMBER 2022