SINGAPORE - Drinks with high sugar content that are sold not just by food outlets and caterers, but also in non-retail settings such as workplaces, schools and healthcare institutions, will be required to display Nutri-Grade labels from end-2023.
This applies to pre-packaged and freshly prepared drinks, and extends to those from vending machines, whether the drinks are customisable or not, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Monday.
The Nutri-Grade system comprises colour-coded grades from A to D, with D containing the highest sugar and/or saturated fat content.
Currently, only grades C or D pre-packaged drinks and non-customisable drinks dispensed from machines sold in retail settings are required to be labelled. Such labelling is optional for those with A or B grades. Retailers are also not allowed to advertise D-graded drinks.
By the end of 2023, the same Nutri-Grade labelling system will also apply to freshly prepared drinks such as tea, coffee and bubble tea. MOH had announced this in August 2022, without releasing details.
With the new measures, physical or online menus, posters, signage and other sales lists for any drink with a C or D grade will also have to carry the Nutri-Grade label. The label must also be displayed next to the beverage in vending machines.
However, sellers and suppliers of freshly prepared drinks whose revenues did not exceed $1 million in the latest financial year and who supply such drinks to fewer than 10 food outlets will be initially exempted from implementing these measures.
“This is in view of the challenges such individuals and entities may face, such as a lack of resources to determine the grading of the beverages being sold,” MOH said. “We will review this concession over time and make the necessary adjustments.”
The labelling regulations, aimed at reducing Singaporeans’ sugar intake, first came into effect on Dec 30, 2022.
Also among the new requirements: Consumers must be able to access physical or electronic records of the nutrition information of freshly prepared drinks by the end of the year.
MOH said: “The measures aim to further reduce the population’s sugar intake, as freshly prepared beverages are another large and growing source of sugar in Singaporeans’ diets.”
Before introducing the extension of labelling regulations, MOH and the Health Promotion Board (HPB) said they sought feedback from more than 3,000 industry stakeholders from February to March 2022.
MOH and HPB aim to share full details of the measures in mid-2023, six months before they take effect.
The health ministry added: “MOH and HPB will continue to work closely with the industry in the coming months to ensure a smooth transition to implement these measures.”
