2.0 Product Categories

Infant, Follow-up, and Young Child Formula

Singapore

This section provides the regulatory definition of the food category in scope, or the appropriate food category for the product in scope. Additionally, it provides the food products that belong to this food category along with the definition and specific information on each of these types of food products.

2.1 Category Name & Definition

Category Name

Special purpose foods (Regulation 247) [3].

Definition

“Special purpose food” shall be a food named or described as particularly suitable for consumption by persons belonging to a particular class who require a special diet. It shall be composed of food substance modified, prepared, or compounded so as to possess nutritive and assimilative properties which render it specially suitable for use as food by these persons requiring the special diet. Special purpose food shall include diabetic food, food containing added phytosterols, phytosterol esters, phytostanols or phytostanol esters, low sodium food, gluten-free food, low protein food, carbohydrate-modified food, low-calorie food, energy food, infant formula food, and formulated food.

2.2 Product & Definition

1) Infant Formula [1]

Definition

"Infant formula" shall be any food described or sold as an alternative to human milk for the feeding of infants. It shall be a product prepared from milk of cows or other animals or both or from other edible constituents of animals, including fish, or plants and which have been proved suitable for infant feeding.

Specifications/Target Age

Target age: for a person not more than 12 months of age

Additional Information

N/A
 

2) Follow-up Formula

Definition

See below.

Specifications/Target Age

The Singapore Food Regulation does not have a specific regulation for products from 6 months to 12 months of age. Therefore, according to the characteristics of the "Follow-up formula", this product can refer to Regulation 252 of the Singapore Food Regulation on “infant formula” for the age range from 0 to 12 months.

Additional Information

N/A
 

3) Young Child Formula [2][3]

Definition

“Special purpose food” shall be a food named or described as particularly suitable for consumption by persons belonging to a particular class who require a special diet (see category definition above).

Specifications/Target Age

According to Singapore Food Regulations, “young children” means persons who are more than 12 months but not more than 36 months of age. However, there is no official food category set forth by Singapore Food Regulations for formulated milk products for young children from 12 months up to 36 months. "Young child formula" can be classified under "Special purpose foods" as “formulated food for young children" based on its target group of consumers. In general, food manufacturers should ensure that the nutrients added to food products for specific populations are at levels safe and suitable for consumption by the target group of consumers.

Additional Information

N/A

2.3 References

1. Regulation 2 and 252, Singapore Food Regulation 

https://sso.agc.gov.sg/SL/SFA1973-RG1?DocDate=20211230&WholeDoc=1

2. Sale of Food Act 1973

https://sso.agc.gov.sg/Act/SFA1973

3. Regulation 247, Singapore Food Regulation

https://sso.agc.gov.sg/SL/SFA1973-RG1?DocDate=20211230&WholeDoc=1#pr247-