New Malaysia nutrition facts label requirements will be effective by 2022
Did you know that the government has made amendments to the nutrition facts label requirements for sodium and sugar content in the Food Regulations 1985?
The new Malaysia nutrition facts label requirements will be effective in July 2022. Therefore, food product manufacturers should be aware of these changes and implement them in their food products packaging by next year.
Does Your Food Require Nutrition Facts Label?
Before we get into it, you must know that not all food requires a nutrition facts label. You may refer below for the list of food that requires nutrition facts labels.
Type of Bread (9)
- Bread
- White bread
- Fruit bread
- Milk bread
- Meal bread
- Rye bread
- Wheat-gem bread
- Wholemeal bread
- Enriched bread
Type of Syrup (3)
- Syrup
- Flavored syrup
- Flavored cordial
Type of Fruit Liquid (12)
- Fruit juice
- Apple juice
- Grapefruit juice
- Lemon juice
- Orange juice
- Passion fruit juice
- Pineapple juice
- Fruit syrup
- Fruit Cordial
- Fruit squash
- Fruit juice drink
- Fruit drink
Type of Drink (7)
- Soft drink base
- Soft drink premix
- Botanical beverage mix
- Soya bean milk
- Soya bean drink
- Isotonic electrolyte drink
- Isotonic electrolyte drink base
Type of Canned Food (5)
- Canned meat
- Canned meat with other food
- Canned fish
- Canned vegetables
- Canned fruit
Type of Milk (23)
- Skimmed milk / powder
- Non-fat milk
- Separated milk
- Pasteurized milk
- Sterilized milk
- UHT milk
- Flavored milk
- Full cream milk (powder / dried)
- Dried non-fat milk solids
- Separated milk powder
- Malted milk powder
- Formulated milk powder for children
- Recombined milk
- Evaporated milk
- Unsweetened condensed milk
- Condensed or sweetened condensed milk
- Lactose hydrolyzed milk
- Filled milk or filled milk powder
- Evaporated filled milk
- Unsweetened condensed filled milk
- Condensed or sweetened condensed filled milk
- Cultured milk
- Fermented milk
Suggested read: Do Your Food Products Need Nutrition Facts Label?
New Malaysia Nutrition Facts Label Requirements
For your information, the regulation affected by these changes is Regulation 18B of Malaysia Food Regulations 1985. So, we will break down the changes to you as simply as possible so that everyone can easily understand them.
Sodium Content
The new Malaysia nutrition facts label will make it mandatory to label sodium content on food packaging.
The reason is to encourage the public to reduce salt intake. Furthermore, this new strategy will also encourage the public to make a healthier choice by being more informed of the sodium content in their food.
The new regulation added is as below;
“(c) the amount of sodium expressed in milligrams per 100 g or per 100 ml or per package if the package contains only a single portion and per serving as stated on the label.”;
Source from Bahagian Keselamatan dan Kualiti Makanan (Year 2020):
Food (Amendment) (No. 4) Regulations 2020
Sugar Content
Additionally, there has also been a minor change to the sugar content labelling requirement.
Before the new amendment, sugar content (monosaccharide and disaccharide) must be declared for ready-to-drink beverages either naturally occurring or added.
However, the new change makes it mandatory for total sugars to be labeled on every food product that requires for nutrition facts label.
In this case, the new regulation will replace the old regulation. You may refer to the table below:
| Old Regulation |
New Regulation |
| (b) the amount of protein, available carbohydrate (that is carbohydrate excluding dietary fibre) and fat, expressed in g per 100 g or per 100 ml or per package if the package contains only a single portion and per serving as quantified on the label. | (b) the amount of protein, available carbohydrate (carbohydrate excluding dietary fibre), total sugars and fat, expressed in g per 100 g or per 100 ml or per package if the package contains only a single portion and per serving as stated on the label; and”; |
We Can Help You Create Nutrition Facts Label
Now that you know the new Malaysia nutrition facts label requirements of the Food Regulations 1985, you may be thinking about how to create one for your food product?
Lucky for you, you have come to the right place. We can help you create nutrition facts labels for your food product at an affordable price.
Foodipedia offers complete packaging and labelling service. Apart from that, you will also get a laboratory test, product information, unique barcode, and digital marketing of your product on our website.
Besides, with our service, you get all sorts of free perks such as free ebook and free editable template. So what are you waiting for? Get in touch with us now and experience the seamless packaging and labelling process.
Next read: The Best Restaurant Marketing Strategies for 2021
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.
