4. Labeling Requirements

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General Foods
Thailand

This section provides information on labeling requirements and the label approval process.

4.1 Mandatory Labeling Parameters

Labeling of Prepackaged Food manufactured for sale or imported for sale shall have the following particulars [1]:

Name of food (if any)
Food serial number (obtained during product registration)
Name and address of manufacturer or packers or importers or head office. Food imported from foreign countries shall display the name and address of importers by having the text “importer” or “imported by” appear together and also display the name and country of the manufacturers.
Contents of Food in metric system (e.g. net weight for solid food)
Percentage by weight of main ingredients in descending orders excluding products with labels of total space less than 35 cm2 or one-ingredient food excluding food additives/flavor
Allergen information
Declare functional class titles of food additives together with specific names or with International Numbering System: INS for Food Additives. If food additives are carried over into a food in an amount sufficient to perform a technological function in that food as a result of the use of raw materials or other ingredients in which the additives were used; they shall also be declared with the respective texts prescribed in the regulation, as the case may be;
Text of “natural imitation odor added”, “artificial flavor added”, “natural flavor added” or “natural imitation flavor added” if used, as the case may be
Display date/month and year when the shelf life of such food is not longer than 90 days, or display month and year when the shelf life of such food is longer than 90 days, by appearing together with “Should consume by” or “Expiration Date”
Warning statement (if any)
Storage instruction (if any)
Cooking instruction (if any)
Instruction for use and essential text for food intended to be used for infants or newborn babies or for particular individuals
Additional texts as specified by particular Notification
Particular texts as specified by particular Notification

4.2 Languages

Labeling of Prepackaged Food manufactured for sale or imported for sale shall be expressed in Thai language text but foreign language text may also be present [1].

4.3 Mandatory Information on Stickers

Additional sticker is acceptable according to the requirements of the label of foods which shall be placed, tagged, or presented on containers or packets of food packaging in a prominent position [1].

4.4 Product Legal Name

There is no product legal name for the overall category of "General Foods". Please refer to Section 4.4 of specific product Guidebooks for product-specific information.

4.5 Product-specific Labeling Statements

Additional texts as specified in Annex of Notification No. 367 [1]:

Foods packed together with material intended for quality control purposes: “Consist of .................” (the blank is to denote the form of packing and materials used for food preservation of qualities or standards such as moisture absorption packet, oxygen absorption sack, etc.) to be expressed in red alphabets of size not less than 3 mm. on white background.
Foods containing aloe vera: “Should not be consumed by children”, “Not a medical food”, and “Stop consuming when unusual symptoms occur” to be prominently declared in red alphabets of size not less than 2 mm. in a rectangular frame with its color contrasting with the label background.
Foods containing Ginkgo Biloba leaves or Extraction from Ginkgo Biloba leaves: “May slow blood clotting” and “Should not be consumed by children and pregnant women”.
Food using aspartame as a sweetener: “Phenylketonuria disorder. This product contains phenylalanine”.
Chia seed and food containing chia seed: “Daily intake is no more than 15 g and should be taken with 1-2 glasses of water” for Chia seed or 100% Chia seed powder; “Contains chia seed” for food containing Chia seed”.
Foods containing added Phytosterols and Phytosterol Esters or Phytostanol and Phyto Stanol Esters:
1. Shall declare the following text “fortified with plant stanol/sterol consisting of........ gram per........(serving size)” near the Thai language food name on the label
2. Shall declare the following warning statement on the label in red alphabet and rectangular frame:
  1. “Daily intake of plant stanol/sterol should be lower than 2 grams”
  2. “Should consume fruit and vegetable for maintaining a normal level of carotenoid in the body”
  3. “Regular consumption may decrease the level of vitamin E"
  4. “Patient should consult a physician prior to consumption”
  5. "Should not be consumed by children and pregnant women"
Jerusalem Artichoke/Sunchoke and food containing Jerusalem Artichoke/Sunchoke: "Consumption of product in large amounts may cause indigestion"
Dried Chiangda vegetables and food containing dried Chiangda vegetables Gymnema inodorum (Lour.) Decne:
1. "Should not be consumed by children and pregnant women and those with hypoglycemia"
2. “Diabetic patients should consult a physician prior to consumption”
3. “Should not be continuously consumed for longer than 1 month”

4.6 Authority Approval

Product labels required to be approved by the authority

Product labels for foods classified under Specially Controlled Foods shall be approved during the product registration process [2].

Specially Controlled Foods include, for example, modified infant milk formula, infant food, complimentary food for infants and young children, weight-control food, food additives, cyclamates, and steviol glycosides [3].

Authority

The Thai Food and Drug Administration, Ministry of Public Health, is the authority in charge of the approval of product labels.

Cost and Duration

As per an announcement from the Ministry of Public Health [2]:

For specially controlled food: 4,000 THB each
For other foods: 3,000 THB each
Timeline: 1 - 4 months, depending on the accuracy and quality of the dossier

4.7 Additional Notes on Labeling

Label or leaflet with health claim declaration shall follow the Notification of the Ministry of Public Health regarding the labeling of prepackaged food and shall declare the following particulars [4]:

The amount of claimed nutrients or their constituents;
Target group (if any);
Instruction for use of the food to obtain the claimed benefit;
Recommendation to vulnerable groups or groups who need to avoid such food (if any);
Maximum safe intake of the food or constituents (where necessary);
A statement as “should routinely consume a variety of 5 food categories in an appropriate amount” and “no effect on the relief, cure or prevention of diseases”.

For the advertisement of health claims, the particulars in (a) to (f) shall also be declared and should comply with the criteria of application for advertisement permission.