1.
CASE STUDY 1:
Nutrition Labelling &
Packaging Standards
- Dr Roger Bektash
- Ms Cyndy Au

2.
Nutrition Labelling & Packaging
Standards
Dr Roger Bektash

3.
VISION FOR ASEAN
Products made for one ASEAN country can be sold in
other ASEAN countries
Efficient Supply Chain
Benefits to local & regional economy
- scale up & efficient manufacture
- increased trade
Benefits for consumers in all countries
www.foodindustry.asia What’s this got to do with Nutrition Labelling? 4

4.
LABELLING COMPLEXITY -
A MAJOR BARRIER
Common labelling standards are needed for
common information (as in EU)
• Unique Labelling requirements
– goes beyond local language requirements
• There are unique National formats, tolerances or
standards for the same information
• Currently dictating Individual country labels, or
complexity and limiting the information provided
www.foodindustry.asia 5

5.
NUTRITION LABELLING
Nutrition Labelling is either Mandated or the format is
prescribed by most ASEAN countries
- Nutrition Information Facts Panel
Increased Voluntary Information or Claims
- “Good Source of Fibre”
- “Reduced Salt”, and
- Front of Pack “GDA”
www.foodindustry.asia However there are many challenges ........ 6

6.
CHALLENGE 1
Variance in Mandatory & Voluntary requirements
• Malaysia – mandatory nutrition labelling on many
foods
• Indonesia – required on fortified foods
• Singapore – required on foods making nutrient
claims
• Philippines – the nutrition information format
requires specific measurement units
www.foodindustry.asia Confusing 7

7.
CHALLENGE 2
Differing min & max limits for vitamins & minerals
To meet local standards, one Singaporean
manufacturer needs to:
• Make four different formulations for the same
product to supply 8 ASEAN markets
• And have different analytical testing limits &
requirements for several markets
www.foodindustry.asia Adding Complexity & Costs 8

8.
CHALLENGE 3
Variance in Tolerance levels for nutrients
• A common recipe across multiple countries faces
differing tolerances for nutrients
• Most ASEAN countries require products to contain at
least 80% of the declared nutrient (as per Codex), but
some impose further restrictions
- more stringent if fortified
- first consignment vs. subsequent shipments
- Nutrients claimed on the front vs. in the NIP on back
www.foodindustry.asia Inconsistent

9.
CHALLENGE 4
The daily reference values for nutrients vary
• Indonesia, Thailand & the Philippines require the
%RDA to be stated for each nutrient in the NIP;
Malaysia adopts %NRV from Codex
• But these reference values vary between the
countries, making a common NIP label
impossible
www.foodindustry.asia A disincentive to voluntary nutrition information
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10.
RECOMMEND DAILY INTAKE VALUE
FOR IRON IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES
www.foodindustry.asia Consumers don’t receive nutrition information 11

11.
BENEFITS OF HARMONISATION
Nutrient values, tolerances and labelling
• Cost efficiencies for manufacturers, trade,
consumers and governments
• Clarity of information for Consumers
• Increased product availability
www.foodindustry.asia 12

12.
EUROPEAN EXPERIENCE
Reluctance to Invest Capital
Where regulation is fragmented and marketing
opportunities are constrained
ASEAN needs: Common labelling
standards for common information
www.foodindustry.asia
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13.
Nutrition Labelling & Packaging
Standards
Ms Cyndy Au

14.
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
FOR HARMONIZATION
SPECIFIC RECENT EXAMPLES
www.foodindustry.asia
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15.
EXAMPLE 1: NON-HARMONIZATION
OF NIP
Malaysia’s format only After: MY, SG, PH, HK, BR
www.foodindustry.asia 16

16.
EXAMPLE 2:
SPEED OF CODEX ADOPTION
• Regulatory Circular issued with ONE MONTH to comply.
• Required : Detailed mapping of labels for over 400 SKUs from over
10 countries; 40 pages of such tables, 2 month process.
www.foodindustry.asia
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17.
EXAMPLE 2:
SPEED OF CODEX ADOPTION
Impact to business – within one site (Singapore)
Example of impact resulting from change in one section of regulation
for qualification of Vegetable Oil/Fat to one of the following:
1. Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil/Fat
2. Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil/Fat
3. Non-Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil/Fat
Total Number of SKUs 296
Total Number affected of SKUs 117
Implementation: 3 types of stickers with dimensions: 50mm (L) x 5mm (H)
1. Vegetable Oil/Fat is Hydrogenated
2. Vegetable Oil/Fat is Partially Hydrogenated
3. Vegetable Oil/Fat is Non-Hydrogenated
www.foodindustry.asia
18

18.
EXAMPLE 2:
SPEED OF CODEX ADOPTION
Cost and resource impact (sticker solution) = S$364k
BRAND NO. OF MONTHLY MONTHLY ANNUAL ANNUAL MTHS TO 2012 QTY 2012 COSTS
SKUS QTY COSTS QTY COSTS STICKER
A 21 190,801 $6,010 2,289,611 $72,123 AU – 12 1,939,831 $61,105
MY – 4-8
B 3 47,232 $1,488 566,784 $17,854 5, 12 452,712 $14,260
(Crumbs)
C 22 137,028 $18,932 1,644,336 $227,189 12 1,644,336 $227,189
D 2 11,652 $367 139,824 $4,404 5 58,260 $1,835
E 8 84,678 $2,667 1,016,136 $32,008 12 1,016,136 $32,008
F 11 50,026 $1,576 600,312 $18,910 12 $600,312 $18,910
G 3 40,236 $1,267 482,832 $15,209 12 482,832 $15,210
H 3 27,000 $851 324,000 $10,206 12 324,000 $10,206
J 7 44,736 $1,409 536,832 $16,910 12 536,832 $16,910
K 5 129,348 $4,074 1,552,176 $48,894 12 1,552,176 $48,894
L 9 66,354 $2,090 796,248 $25,082 12 796,248 $25,082
M 12 133,596 $4,208 1,603,152 $50,499 12 1,603,152 $50,499
N 6 25,942 $817 311,301 $9,806 12 311,301 $9,806
P 5
www.foodindustry.asia 18,828 $593 225,936 $7,117 12 225,936 $7,117
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TOTAL 117 1,007,457 $31,735 12,089,480 $380,819 11,544,064 $363,638

19.
EXAMPLE 3: NET WEIGHT LABELLING
NEW REQUIREMENT ONE COUNTRY
New regulation requires either “net wt.” or “e”
Interim solution to address a “non-quality” issue for ONE sku
Product Cost of
Cost of Cost of
Labelling
Carton per month Labelling Labelling
per unit
imported to per unit per unit
(SGD
Singapore per 6 per 1
0.0306) per
months year
Description month
A 500 $428 $2,570 $5,141
B 500 $428 $2,570 $5,141
C 500 $428 $2,570 $5,141
D 500 $3,305 $19,829 $39,658
E 500 $3,305 $19,829 $39,658
Total 2500 $7,895 $47,369 $94,738
www.foodindustry.asia
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20.
NEGATIVE IMPACTS
Consumers Manufacturers Regulatory agencies
• Over cluttered • 3 languages on • Resource and time
food label NIP, ingredients list companies seek
Longer ingredients advice to comply,
• Compromised declaration e.g. clarify on different
readability non-hydrogenated interpretations of
fat, specific food
regulations
• Stickers – conditioners,
perception of nutrients, E codes
misleading
• Cost of printing,
resources cost
especially to train
and hire regulatory
affairs professionals.
How can we reduce these negative impacts for regulators,
www.foodindustry.asia manufacturers and consumers? 21

21.
EUROPEAN EXPERIENCE
Reluctance to Invest Capital
Where regulation is fragmented and marketing
opportunities are constrained
ASEAN needs: Common labelling
standards for common information
So what do we want to do about it ?
www.foodindustry.asia
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22.
WAY FORWARD
Regulatory agencies and industry both want clear
regulations & standards for labelling and claims.
ASEAN needs: Common labelling standards for
common information
1. How can industry contribute to the development
of national regulations in the region harmonized
toward Codex standards?
2. How can food industry create a level playing field
in implementation of harmonized regulations by
MNCs and SMEs?
www.foodindustry.asia
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