Page 28 - 146

SPECIAL TALK BY FDA
SPECIAL TALK BY FDA
The Most Recently Enforced Food Regulations

Revision of Regulation on Labeling of Prepackaged Foods:

Notification of the Ministry of Public Health (No.383)

B.E.2560 (2017) Re: Labeling of Prepackaged Foods (No.2)

(2.1) “Natural color” or “Synthetic color” followed by specific
names or International Numbering System: INS for Food Additives, as
the case may be.
(2.2) Functional class titles of food additives followed by specific
names for flavor enhancers and sweeteners.
3 Declaration of date, month and year (Clause 4(9))
In conjunction with text of “Should consume by”, date, month
and year shall be declared when shelf life of food does not exceed 90
The Food and Drug Administration (Thai FDA) has issued a revision of the days, or month and year shall be declared when shelf life of food is
regulation on labeling in the Notification of the Ministry of Public Health (No.383) longer than 90 days. In addition, text of “Manufacturing date” or
B.E.2560 (2017) Re: Labeling of Prepackaged Foods (No.2) in order to ensure “Expiration date” may be declared in accordance with any corresponding
adequate guidelines on food labeling conducive to consumer protection and notifications of the Ministry of Public Health.
information provision under the general standard for the labeling of prepackaged Date, month and year or month and year shall be declared as date,
foods-CODEX STAN 1-1985 (Rev.1-1991). Since the summary of the Notification month and year or month and year, respectively. However, month can
of the Ministry of Public Health (No.367) B.E.2558 (2015) Re: Labeling of be presented either in numbers or letters, or clearly understandable
Prepackaged Foods was already published in the May 2015 by Food Focus texts or letters shall be conveyed to consumer relating to method of
Thailand magazine, this article will therefore focus on the details of the regulations displaying appeared together.
that have been revised from the previous notification as follows:
Declaration of ingredients of foods that are sold to manufacturer
Allergens information texts (Clause 4(6)) can be presented in two different 4and used as raw materials is exempted from showing percentage
1ways as follows: of ingredients on label, but other information as required by the
(1) Text of “Information for food allergy : contains……..….” is presented if any Notifications of the Ministry of Public Health shall be fully declared in
allergenic ingredient is used in food or text of “Information for food allergy : may instruction manuals or documents for manufacturer accordingly. In
contain ………….…” is presented in case of any possible allergens contamination addition, text of “To be used as ingredient for commercial food
in manufacturing process, as the case may be. (Specify types and kinds of allergens processing only” or other text of similar nature shall be declared on
or hypersensitivity-inducing substances in blank) or label. Exemption of ingredient percentage declaration in instruction
(2) If text of “Information for food allergy” is not presented, shall be labeled by manuals or documents for food manufacturer in accordance with Clause
either “contain………..” or “may contain……….”. Color of letter shall be contrasted 4(5) of the Notification applies in the following cases:
with background color of frame, and color of frame shall be contrasted with (1) Commercial food ingredients used by a food manufacturer or
background color of label. importer to manufacture its own food products.
The Notification (No.383) to its repertoire moreover the following types of foods (2) Commercial food ingredients of food manufacturer or importer
exempted from presenting declaration of allergenic ingredients: are also added in sold to food processing manufacturer with declaration of information
• Wheat-based glucose syrups including dextrose in accordance with Clause 4(5).
• Wheat-based maltodextrin
• Glucose syrups based on barley Clause 11: Declaration of claims of any substances or other food
• Ethyl alcohol derived from cereals distillation 5compositions on label shall not provide misleading information of
• Fish gelatin used as carrier for vitamin or carotenoid preparations product, not be applied to prohibited foods listed in the Notifications of
• Fully refined soybean oil and fat the Ministry of Public Health, or the nature of such foods do not contain
• Natural mixed tocopherols (INS06), natural D-alpha-tocopherol, natural a particular claimed substances or foods whose manufacturing process
DL-alpha-tocopherol, natural D-alpha-tocopheryl acetate, natural DL- alpha- does not generate claimed substances to prohibited substances listed
tocopheryl acetate, natural D-alpha-tocopheryl acid succinate derived from soybean in the Notifications of the Ministry of Public Health. Exemption applies
sources when claims of substances or other food compositions are in
• Vegetable oils derived phytosterols and phytosterol esters from soybean accordance with any particular notifications issued by the Ministry of
sources Public Health such as the Notification of the Ministry of Public Health
• Plant stanol ester produced from vegetable oil sterols which derived from (No.384) B.E.2560 (2017) Re: Labeling of Gluten-free Foods.
soybean sources 6 Regulations on letter size (Clause 14) are as in the table.
• Lactitol from milk and milk products
Food additives declaration texts (Clause 4(7)) can be presented in two different Additional regulation in Clause 4/1 stipulates that manufacturer,
2ways as follows: 7importer or distributor shall not sell food that exceeds expiration
(1) Information is presented in compliance with the original notification of the date or consume before date shown on label.
Ministry of Public Health (No.367) B.E.2558 (2015) Re: Labeling of Prepackaged Notification of the Ministry of Public Health (No.383) B.E.2560 (2017)
Foods by declaring functional class titles of food additives in combination with 8Re: Labeling of Prepackaged Foods (No.2) shall come into force
specific names or International Numbering System: INS for Food Additives from 5 April B.E.2560 (2017) in exception with Clause 14(4) which
th
according to Codex guideline or shall come into force on 5 April B.E.2562 (2019).
th
(2) Instead of functional class titles of food additives, text of “Food additives”
may be presented, together with specific names or with International Numbering Prepackaged food not labeled in accordance with the stipulated
System: INS for Food Additives, for non-preservative food additives, non-flavor 9regulations in this notification shall be deemed non compliance with
enhancers, non-sweeteners and non-color additives. For flavor enhancers, the notification issued under Clause 6(10). Violator is subject to fine of
sweeteners and color additives, the following information shall also be presented, not more than THB 30,000.
as the case may be:

24 FOOD FOCUS THAILAND MAY 2018