Permitted Nutrition Claims for Food Product Labels in Malaysia

Today’s consumers rely on nutrition claims on a product label to make better food choices. 

Nowadays, consumers are more conscious of nutrition claims to help them decide their daily diet.

With that in mind, sellers must provide accurate and factual information about the nutritional content of their products.

In this article, we have summarized the nutrient claims on food products allowed by the Ministry of Health Malaysia.

What is a Nutrition Label?

Since forever, people gather information about a product from many sources; family, friends, ads, and the media. Nowadays, consumers are more conscious and read the information on the product label.

Nutrition labels are a helpful source of nutrition information such as the amount of energy, nutrients, and vitamins.

This helps consumers compare the nutrient composition of similar products by different brands.

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What are Nutrition Claims?

Nutrition claims or otherwise known as nutrient content claims describe the level of nutrients in a food product.

Sellers can put these on their labels so long as the nutrition claims follow the Food Regulations set by the Ministry of Health Malaysia.

There are 4 types of nutrition claims that are permitted in Malaysia:

• Nutrition labelling
• Nutrient content claim
• Nutrient comparative claim
• Nutrient function claim

Good to know
Not all food products require nutrition labeling in Malaysia.

Next read: Packaged Food Solutions to Grow your Business

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What are the Nutrition Claims Allowed on Product Labels?

Before any nutrient claims are made, the food product must meet specific criteria. These criteria have been stated in the Food Regulations.

We know how little time you have to read through the whole lengthy document (168 pages!) so we’ll summarize the information for you.

Nutrition labelling

As the name implies, nutrition labeling is the description of the product’s nutrient content intended to inform the consumer.

Typically, this includes the energy and nutrient content of the food which must be stated on the label per serving size and per 100g/100ml.

Do take note that only the core nutrients are compulsory on the label. The list of main nutrients that must be on the packaging label is:

• Energy
• Carbohydrate
• Total Sugars
• Protein
• Fat
• Sodium

You can also include optional nutrients provided that they are present in significant amounts.

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Where to get a nutrition facts label?

Also known as the Nutrition Information Panel (NIP), the nutrient information must be analyzed by a certified testing laboratory in Malaysia.

You need to send a sample of your product to a nutrition lab for testing before you can put the NIP on your product label.

Sample of the NIP containing the core and compulsory nutrient contents

Sample of NIP containing optional nutrients

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Nutrient Content Claim

As stated in the Food Regulations, a nutrient content claim means a nutrition claim that describes the nutrient level of a food product.

Specifically, this pertains to the claim ‘low’ or ‘free’ on the label. If you want to claim your product as having low fat or sugar-free, you cannot do so lightly.

You must first refer to Table I and Table II to the Fifth A Schedule for any claims of:

• Low-nutrient food
• Nutrient-free food
• Source of nutrient
• High-nutrient food

Table I Fifth A Schedule

Nutrient	Claim	Guideline
Energy	Low	Solid 40 kcal (170kJ) per 100g Liquid 20 kcal (80kJ) for 100ml
	Free	4 kcal for each 100ml or 100g
Fat	Low	Solid 3 g per 100g Liquid 1.5 g per 100ml
	Free	0.15 g for every 100g or 100ml
Saturated Fat	Low	Solid 1.5 gm per 100g Liquid 0.75 gm per 100ml *and 10% of the total food energy
	Free	0.1 g for every 100g or 100ml
Cholesterol	Low	Solid 0.02 g per 100g Liquid 0.01 g per 100ml
	Free	0.005 g for each 100g or 100ml
Trans Fatty Acid	Low	Solid  1.5 g per 100g Liquid 0.75 g per 100ml
	Free	0.1 g per 100g or 100ml
Sugar	Free	0.5 g per 100g or 100ml
Sodium	Low	0.12 g per 100g
	Very Low	0.04 g per 100ml
	Free	0.005 g per 100g or 100ml

Table II Fifth A Schedule

Nutrient	Claim	Guideline
Protein	Source	10% of NRV per 100g
	High	At least twice the value for “Source”
Vitamins & Minerals	Source	Solid 15% of NRV per 100g  Liquid 7.5% of NRV per 100ml
	High	At least twice the value for “Source”

(*) Nutrient Reference Value (NRV)

As for food products that are naturally low in or free of the nutrient, these are the rules you must follow:

A low (name of nutrient) food
or
A (name of nutrient)-free food

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Nutrient Comparative Claims

The Food Regulation states that nutrient comparative claims are allowed to compare the nutrient levels of 2 or more foods.

These claims include using words such as:

• reduced
• less than
• fewer
• increased
• more than
• light
• extra
• or any other words of similar meaning.

However, there are some conditions that sellers should take note of if they want to use nutrient comparative claims.

1. The compared food must be a different version of similar food.
2. Food comparison must be clearly identified on the label.
3. The difference in nutrient content must be placed close to the claim.
4. Nutrient content difference should be at least 25%.

 

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Nutrient Function Claim

Last but not least, the nutrient function claim is the description of the nutrient in terms of growth, development, and normal functions of the body.

It’s quite lengthy so we’ve listed the most common nutrient function claims (or words of similar meaning) that the Food Regulation allows:

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Where to find Nutrition Facts Label Consulting?

All in all, even though we’ve summarized all the essential information, it is still overwhelming.

But, accurate labels on food products are important for government compliance and building your customer’s trust.

We have the right expertise to make sure you get it right the first time so your product hits the shelves.

Foodipedia helps you with label development, label audits, nutrition claims, lab testing, and printing your own label.

Fill in your details below and our expert advisor will contact you shortly!

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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.