Nutri-Grade Labels For Freshly-Prepared Drinks & Toppings To Take Effect From 30 Dec
Come 30 Dec, drink menus in Singapore for beverages like bubble tea and fresh coffee are going to take on a new look.
On Friday (30 June), the health ministry announced that the Nutri-Grade labelling system will soon apply to freshly-prepared beverages.
Source: Facebook
Toppings added to such beverages will also not be spared, as establishments will have to ‘declare’ their respective sugar content.
Compulsory for establishments to show Nutri-Grade for ‘C’ & ‘D’ grade drinks
On Friday (30 June), the Ministry of Health (MOH) issued a press release announcing that freshly-prepared beverages will soon require Nutri-Grade labels.
Currently, the labelling requirements only apply to pre-packaged sweet drinks.
Pre-Packaged Sweet Drinks Will Have ‘A To D’ Nutri-Grade Sugar Label To Curb Diabetes In S’pore
From 30 Dec, however, a similar system will also apply to freshly-prepared drinks like bubble tea and fresh coffee.
Source: ChonThuongHieu.com
Similar to pre-packaged drinks, freshly-prepared beverages will be assigned grades from ‘A’ to ‘D’.
The grades are based on each beverage’s sugar and saturated fat content.
As such, drinks labelled ‘A’ contain the lowest amount of sugar and saturated fat.
Each grade is also colour coded:
- ‘A’ — dark green
- ‘B’ — light green
- ‘C’ — orange
- ‘D’ — red
MOH shared that it will be mandatory for establishments to display the Nutri-Grade label for drinks graded ‘C’ or ‘D’.
However, it’ll be optional for sellers to display the Nutri-Grade label for those graded ‘A’ or ‘B’.
Beyond informing customers about their choices, the labelling system may also affect brands’ marketing strategies — advertisements promoting the sale of ‘D’ grade drinks will not be allowed.
Nutri-Grade labels for toppings will show sugar content
Apart from the beverages, toppings — such as pearls, jellies, ice cream, and whipped cream — will also have labels.
Source: Robyn Lee on Flickr
Unlike drinks that are assigned grades, toppings will come with a label that informs customers about their respective sugar content.
Labels will help to ‘better identify’ healthier beverages & toppings
MOH hopes that the requirements will allow consumers to “better identify” beverages and toppings that are lower in sugar or saturated fat.
The measures, which will take effect on 30 Dec, will apply to establishments in both retail settings and non-retail settings.
Similarly, the labelling system will apply to both physical and online menus.
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Featured image adapted from Eatbook and Robyn Lee on Flickr.
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