Singapore to enforce stricter sodium and fat labelling by 2027
Singapore will tighten labelling and advertising laws for sodium and saturated fat by 2027 — here’s what food brands need to know about this change.
Singapore’s Ministry of Health (MOH) will extend its Nutri-Grade labelling and advertising rules to cover sodium and saturated fat in retail food products sold at supermarkets, convenience stores, and online platforms.
This regulatory change is especially significant for firms across the Asia-Pacific region, given its role as a strategic trade gateway into South East Asia and broader Asian markets.
The move is closely aligned with global trends towards healthier diets, targeting chronic diseases like hypertension and high cholesterol, which are growing health concerns across Asia.
Australia supermarket report: More grocery competition needed to break ‘oligopoly’ but barriers may be too high
A government-commissioned report concluded more grocery competition is required within the Australian grocery sector in order to break the ‘oligopoly’ currently led by Woolworths and Coles, but the barriers to entry may be too high.
An inquiry was directed by the Australian Government in January 2024 to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), and the final report was published earlier this year.
One of the main findings of this report was the conclusion that the local supermarket industry is ‘highly concentrated’, with the ACCC putting Woolworths market share at 38% of supermarket grocery sales and Coles at 29% - large numbers compared to closest competitors ALDI at 9% and Metcash (which supplies to independent stores) at 7%.
“In economic terms, this is an oligopolistic market structure in which Coles and Woolworths have limited incentive to compete vigorously with each other on price,” the commission said via formal documentation on the report.
Japan’s new Basic Plan for Food: 4 takeaways for global food brands
We bring you four key insights global food firms need to know about Japan’s new Basic Plan for Food and its impact on regional food trade .
Japan announced the revision of its Basic Plan for Food under the larger Basic Law for Food, Agriculture and Rural Areas this year, a change which will impact the country’s food and agriculture trade for the next two decades.
Japan is one of the largest food importers in the region due to its low food self-sufficiency rate and large ageing population.
This also makes it a significant player in terms of regional and global food trade, so this new major policy change is likely to have major implications for many markets.
Thailand to amend nutrition labelling guidelines for ‘better visibility and industry compliance’
The Thai government announced plans to amend nutrition labelling guidelines after industry complaints around implementation.
Thailand has made various amendments to the labelling regulations for food and beverage products over the past few years, including stricter criteria for on-pack health claims, laying the onus on manufacturers for the inclusion of clear information on labels and recently revising the Healthy Choice logo eligibility criteria for several products.
According to the local Thai Food and Drug Administration (Thai FDA), feedback from the industry has indicated that these changes have not solved some core, practical labelling issues, thus another round of public opinion was sought on new changes to labelling criteria earlier this year.
“Currently we are seeing multiple complaints and various parties highlighting practical problems of displaying required information, i.e. energy values, sugar, fat and sodium, in the required Guideline Daily Amount (GDA) labelling format,” the agency said via a formal Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) announcement.
Japan amends nutrient labelling standards, on-label claim requirements based on new data
The Japanese government amended labelling regulations earlier this year based on new consumer data, which saw changes to nutrient labelling values as well as requirements to make on-label nutritional claims.
These new amendments to the local Food Labelling Standards revolved mostly around requirements for standard nutrient labelling values and requirements to be met for manufacturers to make on-label claims.
Standard nutrient labelling values here are in reference to values calculated based on a population-weighted average for nutrient intake according to gender and age, and are used to guide the recommended daily intake values of nutrients for Japanese consumers.
“Based on the most recent data from the Japanese Dietary Intake Standards 2025 report, we will revise the nutrient labelling standard values in the Food Labelling Standards to meet local needs,” Japan’s Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA) stated via a formal statement.
South Korea to prioritise food safety information and visibility in new e-labelling regulations
South Korea announced it would prioritise food safety information such as expiry dates and allergens in labelling regulations, while also mandating firms to use e-labels for non-essential information.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) published a notification of changes to food labelling regulations, which primarily called for companies to transfer all non-essential information from the printed label to e-labels.
“This move looks to increase consumer convenience and visibility of the important information, protect their right-to-know, alleviate costs to the industry as well as fall in line with carbon neutrality initiatives,” MFDS Minister Oh Yoo-kyung said via a formal statement.
“The space on the printed label on the food packaging should be reserved for important information such as the product name, expiration date, allergens and storage methods whereas other information should be provided as an electronic label such as a QR code.”
Japan tightens dairy rules to improve standardisation, probiotic fortification safety
Japan enforced new rules for dairy products this year, including condensed milk, powdered milk and products containing non-milk ingredients.
This was announced by the local Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA) after Japan transferred the administration of national food safety standards from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW).
“Any food firms who wish to obtain approval for the type and mixing ratio of ingredients from non-milk or non-dairy origin to be used in powdered milk or liquid milk must now submit an application using [the specified Form 1] together with relevant documents via post or email to the Food Sanitation Standards Inspection Division,” CAA said via a formal statement.
China enforces plant-based colours: What brands must know
China’s new industry standard on food colouring this year has been expected to benefit consumers and influence the APAC food and beverage industry
The standard, jointly developed by the China National Food Industry Association (CNFIA) and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), mandated that food colourings be made from fruits, vegetables, plants, or algae normally consumed as food.
Effective from May 1, 2025, it also requires colourings to be produced solely through physical methods – ruling out chemical solvents – and to retain the natural colour, flavour, and nutrients of their source materials.
As a result, these colourings are now classified as ingredients rather than additives, enabling brands to label them more transparently – for example, as “carrot colouring ingredient.”
Thailand revises Healthy Choice logo eligibility criteria for multiple food products
Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revised the criteria in January 2025 for beverages, seasonings, packaged soup bases and plant-based dairy alternatives wanting to display the healthier choice logo.
Thailand first introduced its own Thailand Healthier Choice logo (THCL) in 2016, a voluntary front-of-pack nutrition labelling scheme hoped to aid consumers in making healthier purchasing and consumption choices.
Come January 2025, the Thai FDA announced that it would be revising and tightening the criteria required for certain food categories to be eligible to display the THCL logo.
“The food categories that will be revised will focus on beverages and food seasonings, [as these are] very important in the Thai food system,” nutritional symbol subcommittee Chairman Chalat Santiwarangkana said via a formal statement.
China tariff adjustments 2025: Dairy big winner but sugary products take major hit
China’s 2025 adjustment to its import tariffs will see many dairy products benefit – but various sugary solutions are expected to take a major hit.
China is one of the world’s largest consumer markets, and any adjustments to its import and export tariffs can have immense impacts on global trade.
The local State Council Customs Tariff Commission recently announced that adjustments had been made to its import-export tariffs for 2025, affecting some 8960 tax items.
Whilst most staple food items such as wheat and sugar will not see major changes, several food and beverage related products are expected to see significant impacts as a result of these changes.
