,"The ASEAN Consultative Committee on Standards and Quality (ACCSQ), through the Prepared Foodstuff Product Working Group (PFPWG), has endorsed the ASEAN Guidelines on Nutrition Labelling during its 39th Meeting held from 31 October to 1 November 2024.
The Guidelines aim to harmonize nutrition labelling requirements across ASEAN Member States and ensure that consumers receive accurate, clear, and useful information to make informed food choices. They also seek to encourage healthy food formulation and prevent misleading or false nutrition information.
Under the Guidelines, nutrition labelling becomes mandatory for all prepackaged foods carrying a nutrition or health claim, and may also be required for other foods depending on national circumstances. The mandatory nutrient declaration includes:
- Energy (kJ, kcal)
- Protein
Available carbohydrate (excluding dietary fiber)
- Fat
- Saturated fat
- Sodium
- Total sugars
Additional nutrients such as vitamins and minerals must also be declared when claims are made or when deemed important by national authorities. The Guidelines adopt standardized energy conversion factors (4 kcal/g for carbohydrates and protein, 9 kcal/g for fat, etc.) and require declarations per 100 g/ml or per serving.
The document also introduces Nutrient Reference Values (NRVs) based on Codex principles —
NRVs-R (for nutrient requirements) and NRVs-NCD (for reducing the risk of noncommunicable diseases).
The adoption of the ASEAN Guidelines on Nutrition Labelling marks a significant step toward regional regulatory alignment, facilitating trade while supporting public health nutrition goals across ASEAN Member States"
Consumer News Region