
What is a Nutrition Facts Label?
A nutrition facts label is a listing of the level of nutrients. It is meant to provide factual information about the nutritional content of the product.Â
In Malaysia, food product labelling must comply with the Malaysia Food Regulations 1985 which protect the public against health hazards and fraud in the preparation, sale, and use of food.
Benefits of Nutrition Labelling
Nutrition facts labels can be an effective communication tool between manufacturers and consumers. Â
Food manufacturers provide information about their products on their own nutrition labels and consumers will be able to assess the quality of each product before making a purchase.
Besides, manufacturers can also highlight the nutritional qualities of their products and help consumers differentiate their products from competitors.Â
Furthermore, as consumers become increasingly educated about nutrition and healthy eating, they want reassurance that they are buying products for the right nutritional attributes.
Does Your Product Need Nutrition Facts Label?
First of all, you need to identify if your food products need a nutrition facts label or not.
This is because not all food products are required to have a nutrition facts label based on the Food Regulations 1985.Â
Here are the categories of food that require mandatory nutrition labelling.
- Prepared cereal food and bread
- Milk product
- Flour confection
- Canned meat, fish, and vegetables
- Canned fruit and various fruit juices
- Salad dressing and mayonnaise
- Soft drink
General Requirements
Second of all, now that you have determined if your food products need nutrition labels or not, you need to know what is required on a nutrition label based on the Food Regulations 1985.Â
Those include:
1. Language
All text should be in Bahasa Malaysia if the food is produced, prepared, or packaged in Malaysia.
Moreover, if the food is imported, all text should be in Bahasa Malaysia or English. You can also include translations into other languages.
2. Font size
The minimum nutrition facts font size requirements should not be smaller than 4 points.
3. Optional Nutrients
These include vitamins and minerals, dietary fiber, sodium, cholesterol, fatty acids, amino acids, nucleotides, and other food components that are present in a significant amount (at least 5%).
However, only vitamins and minerals that are listed on the Nutrient Reference Value (NRV) can be declared on nutrition labels.Â
Thus, other vitamins and minerals that are not on the list must get the approval of the Deputy Director-General of Health (Public Health), Ministry of Health Malaysia.
4. Mandatory Nutrients
The mandatory nutrients that must be included on a nutrition label are energy, protein, carbohydrate, fat and total sugars (for ready-to-drink beverages).
Moreover, information on energy value should be in kilocalories (kcal) or kilojoule (KJ) per 100g or per 100ml of the food or per package if the package contains only a single portion.
Additionally, the rule above also applies to the amount of protein, carbohydrate, and fat.
Other than that, the amount of these nutrients in the food should also be stated for each serving of the food as quantified on the label.
Below are some examples of nutrition labelling:
1. Solid food
2. Liquid food
3. Single portion
Additionally, below is the formula for calculating the energy content of a food product,
Nutrition Facts Label For Export
If you intend to sell your food products outside of Malaysia, you must adhere to the regulations imposed by the country to which you wish to export.
Malaysia Food Regulations will only work in Malaysia.
How Do I Get Nutrition Facts For My Product
Once you have all your information to put into your nutrition facts label, how do you create your own nutrition label? There are two options.
The first option is to make your own nutrition label with pre-made nutrition facts templates available online. The nutrition facts template is editable, so you must have basic knowledge of editing to edit the template. Then you need to decide on the label size and the type of material you will be printing the label on.Â
The second option is to hire an expert to do your labelling for you to ease the process by 10 times.Â
Foodipedia offers complete packaging and labelling service at an affordable price. Not only will we provide you with how to get nutrition label for your product, but you will also get a laboratory test, product information, unique barcode, and digital marketing of your product on our website.
Need Nutrition Facts?
Contact our helpful associate, send us your sample, and get your nutrition facts within just 10 working days.
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So what are you waiting for? Get in touch with us now and experience the seamless packaging and labelilng process.
Suggested read: How to Get Nutrition Facts for My Product in Malaysia
DISCLAIMER
This article is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. Although we strive to provide accurate general information, the information presented here is not a substitute for any kind of professional advice, and you should not rely solely on this information. Please opt for a one-to-one consultation with us or a relevant professional for your specific concerns regarding food business solutions in Malaysia before making any decisions.