3. Compositional Aspects

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3. Compositional Aspects

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Nutritional Milk Powder and UHT Milk
Singapore

This section provides the compositional requirements for the food category and/or food products in scope and information on permitted nutrients, ingredients, and additives.

3.1 Composition Requirements

Product

1) Milk Powder [1]

Regulation 101: Dried full-cream milk shall contain:

not less than 26% (w/w) milk fat;
not more than 5% (w/w) moisture; and
no added substances other than vitamins and one or more permitted emulsifiers

Regulation 102: Dried half-cream milk shall contain:

not less than 14% (w/w) milk fat;
not more than 5% (w/w) moisture; and
no added substances other than vitamins

Regulation 103: Skimmed milk powder shall contain:

not more than 5% (w/w) moisture
not less than 9% (w/w) non-fat milk solids for an aqueous preparation of skimmed milk powder, whether or not vitaminized, when prepared according to the directions given on the label.

2) Ultra Heat Treated Milk [1]

By definition of milk in Regulation 93, the product shall contain:

not less than 8.5% (w/w) milk solids other than milk fat; and
not less than 3.25% (w/w) milk fat

In the case of reconstituted or recombined milk, the definition per Regulation 98 is provided in Section 2.2 of this guidebook. Reconstituted or recombined milk shall contain not less than 3.25% (w/w) milk fat and not less than 8.5% (w/w) milk solids other than milk fat.

In the case of flavored milk, Regulation 105 requires not less than 2% (w/w) milk fat. In addition, salt, sweeteners including permitted sweetening agents, permitted coloring matters, and stabilizers are allowed.

3.2 Raw Material Requirements

General Foods

The purity of permitted food additives shall conform with the specifications as recommended by the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and World Health Organization (FAO/WHO) Expert Committee on food additives. For other raw materials, it is not mentioned by the Singapore Food Regulation. Notwithstanding, it would be recommended to follow the specifications of other individual raw materials where stipulated in the Singapore Food Regulation.

It is also not permitted to use any edible fat or oil that contains any partially hydrogenated oil as an ingredient in the manufacture of any other edible fat or oil or any prepacked food according to Regulation 36A of the Singapore Food Regulation. Additionally, raw materials can be added to General Foods as long as they are safe for human consumption.

Product

1) Milk Powder

There are no raw material requirements specific to milk powder. It should comply with the requirements for General Foods described above.

2) Ultra Heat Treated Milk

There are no raw material requirements specific to UHT milk. It should comply with the requirements for General Foods described above.

3.3 Fortification

General Foods [1]

Permitted nutrient supplements are specified in the Seventh Schedule of Singapore Food Regulations. The Singapore Food Regulations sets limits for Vitamin A, Vitamin D, and minerals.

When vitamin A or vitamin D or a mineral is added to a food, the addition must not increase the vitamin A content to more than 750 mcg of retinol activity, nor increase the content of vitamin D to more than 10 mcg of cholecalciferol, or of any mineral to more than 3 times the daily allowance (as specified in Regulation 11 Table I for that mineral) per reference quantity for that food as specified in Regulation 11 Table II.

Product

1) Milk Powder [1]

When vitamin A or vitamin D or a mineral is added to milk powder, the addition must not increase the vitamin A content to more than 750 mcg of retinol activity per 60g, nor increase the content of vitamin D to more than 10 mcg of cholecalciferol per 60g, or of any mineral to more than 3 times the daily allowance (calcium limit 2400mg, iodine limit 300mcg, iron limit 30mg, phosphorus limit 2400mg) per 60g product.

2) Ultra Heat Treated Milk [1]

When vitamin A or vitamin D or a mineral is added to a food, the addition must not increase the vitamin A content to more than 750 mcg of retinol activity per 200ml, nor increase the content of vitamin D to more than 10 mcg of cholecalciferol per 200ml, or of any mineral to more than 3 times the daily allowance (calcium limit 2400mg, iodine limit 300mcg, iron limit 30mg, phosphorus limit 2400mg) per 200ml.

3.4 Other Permitted Ingredients

General foods

Raw materials are permitted to be added as long as they are safe for human consumption.

Product

1) Milk Powder

Except for vitamins, no other substances are allowed to be added to the product.

2) Ultra Heat Treated Milk

Flavored ultra-heat-treated milk may contain salt.

3.5 Permitted Additives

General Foods

The purity of permitted food additives shall conform with the specifications as recommended by the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and World Health Organization (FAO/WHO) Expert Committee on food additives. Permitted emulsifiers and stabilizers are specified in the Sixth Schedule of Singapore Food Regulations, permitted general-purpose food additives are specified in the Eighth Schedule while sweeteners are specified in the Thirteenth Schedule with maximum limits prescribed. Where limits are not specified, manufacturers may refer to Codex GSFA on specified limits for specific food categories.

Product

1) Milk Powder

Milk powder can only add permitted emulsifiers in the Sixth Schedule of the Food Regulations.

2) Ultra Heat Treated Milk

There are no specific requirements. It should comply with General Foods above.

3.6 Permitted Flavors and Colors

General Foods

Permitted colors are listed in Regulation 20, FIFTH Schedule of the Food Regulations. In principle, SFA has no objection to the use of flavoring substances that have been evaluated and endorsed by recognized international bodies such as the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers’ Association (FEMA), or the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), under good manufacturing practice (GMP), provided that the flavoring preparations do not contain any of the prohibited substances listed under Regulation 22(7) of the Food Regulations. Regulation 22(7) prohibits the use of coumarin, tonka bean, safrole, sassafras oil, dihydrosafrole, isosafrole, agaric acid, nitrobenzene, dulcamara, pennyroyal oil, oil of tansy, rue oil, birch tar oil, cade oil, volatile bitter almond oil containing hydrocyanic acid and male fern as flavoring agents.

Natural or synthetic flavoring essence or extract must be contained in a permitted solvent, namely, 1,3-propanediol, benzyl alcohol, beta-cyclodextrin, diacetin, diethyl ether, ethyl acetate, ethyl alcohol, glycerol, isopropyl alcohol, propylene glycol, triacetin, and water. The permitted solvents other than water shall conform with the British Pharmacopoeia standard. Permitted flavoring compounds may also be carried in an emulsion of a permitted emulsifier as provided under Regulation 21, Sixth Schedule with any of the permitted solvents mentioned. Refer to Sixth Schedule for the list of permitted emulsifiers and stabilizers. [3]

Product

1) Milk Powder [1]

No permitted flavorings and colorings.

2) Ultra Heat Treated Milk [1]

Allowed for UHT-flavored milk where it may contain flavoring substances, sweeteners including permitted sweetening agents specified in the Thirteenth Schedule and permitted coloring matters specified in the Fifth Schedule of the Singapore Food Regulation.

3.7 Permitted Processing Aids

General Foods

In the absence of a definition for “processing aids” under the Food Regulations, the current definition as stipulated in the Codex Procedural Manual may be taken as a reference according to the SFA Guide on Food Labeling and Advertisements [4]:

“Processing aid means 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 product.”

Processing aids may be used in the manufacture of food products provided that:

the use of processing aids complies with the Codex Guidelines on Substances Used as Processing Aids (CAC/GL 75-2010) [5]; and
the processing aids do not migrate any harmful substances to the finished product.

The general-purpose food additives specified in the Eighth Schedule of the Food Regulations could be used as processing aids. [1]

Product

1) Milk Powder [2]

There are no processing aid requirements specific to milk powder. It should comply with General Foods above.

2) Ultra Heat Treated Milk

There are no processing aid requirements specific to UHT milk. It should comply with General Foods above.

3.8 Additional Notes

Manufacturers may opt to classify their products under the “special purpose food” category if it is formulated to be particularly suitable for consumption by persons belonging to a particular class who require a special diet. Special-purpose food may contain, unless otherwise prohibited under these Regulations, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, other additives, and nutrient supplements suitable for the target groups.