4. Labeling Requirements

2 Mins to read

Share
Dark
Light

Article summary

Did you find this summary helpful?

Thank you for your feedback

General Foods
Singapore

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

4.1 Mandatory Labeling Parameters

According to Regulation 5(4) of Singapore’s Food Regulations, the general mandatory labeling requirements are listed below (more details for each requirement are available in Regulation 5) [1]:

Product Name: Common name or a description
Ingredient list: Statement of ingredients (specified in descending order of the proportions by weight in which they are present)
Net quantity of the food
Imported food: the name and address of the local importer, distributor, or agent and the name of the country of origin of the food (imported food)
Allergen: foods and ingredients that are known to cause hypersensitivity

Particulars 1, 2, and 3 shall be in printed letters not less than 1.5mm in height, appear conspicuously and in a prominent position on the label, and shall be clearly legible. Notwithstanding, words required to be printed in a prescribed size may be printed in reduced size clearly legible when a package containing food for sale is so small as to prevent the use of wording of the prescribed size.

Processing aids, as stipulated in the Codex Procedural Manual, are exempted from the declaration in the list of ingredients [2].

The Codex Procedural Manual defines processing aids as “any substance or material, not including apparatus or utensils, and not consumed as a food ingredient by itself, intentionally used in the processing of raw materials, foods or its ingredients to fulfill a certain technological purpose during treatment or processing and which may result in the non-intentional but unavoidable presence of residues or derivatives in the final products.”

Additional Mandatory Labeling Requirements for Specific Foods [1]

Date-Marking using the following format:
1. “USE BY (here insert the day, month, and year)”;
2. “SELL BY (here insert the day, month, and year)”;
3. “EXPIRY DATE (here insert the day, month, and year)”; or
4. “BEST BEFORE (here insert the day, month, and year)” – same meaning as “USE BY”

Where the validity of the date mark of any prepacked food to which this regulation applies is dependent on its storage, the storage direction of that food shall also be stated on its label or package. The date mark shall be shown clearly and the size of the letters shall not be less than 3 mm in height. Where the products are packed in bulk, it shall be sufficient to state either the date of manufacture or the expiry date.

Advisory statements on consumption by children for certain food categories with sweetening agents
Nutrition labeling is required when nutrition claims or permitted health claims are made
Advisory statements for food containing certain ingredients. Based on Regulation 5(4)(f), an advisory statement “PHENYLKETONURICS: CONTAINS PHENYLALANINE.” or any other statement to the same effect shall be provided on the labeling.

4.2 Languages

Regulation 5(2) of the Food Regulations states that product labeling shall be in English [1].

4.3 Mandatory Information on Stickers

The use of sticker labels for mandatory labeling information is acceptable if the sticker label used is firmly attached to the product at all times, and it does not cover other essential information required under the Food Regulations. The information made available on the sticker labels should not contradict those declared on the original label [2].