You are using an outdated browser and your browsing experience will not be optimal. Please update to the latest version of Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. Install Microsoft Edge

August 8, 2024

Thailand Updates Food Labeling Requirements

Subscribe to Updates

On July 19, 2024, Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health Notification No. 450 B.E.2567 (2024) came into effect after being published in the Government Gazette the day before. The notification introduces significant updates to the labeling requirements for prepackaged foods. This new regulation consolidates and updates Thailand’s rules for food labeling by repealing and replacing several previous notifications.

The notification’s key changes and their implications for food businesses are identified below.

1. Clarified “Best Before” Definition

The notification aligns the definition of “best before” with Codex standards. It now refers to the date marking the end of the period during which the food maintains its best quality under stated storage conditions. After this date, food quality may change, and the product cannot be marketed.

2. Updated Labeling Exceptions

Certain foods are exempt from labeling requirements, with the latest list including:

  • Foods sold directly to consumers by manufacturers who can provide product information.
  • Unprocessed foods.
  • Some fresh foods not sold directly to consumers.
  • Prepackaged foods produced and sold for immediate consumption in food service settings.

However, any of these exempt foods that have received food serial numbers must still have labels that comply with the notification.

3. Expiration Date and Best-Before Date Display

The notification provides clearer language for displaying the expiration date and best-before date. If specific wording is required by other notifications, it must be followed. English equivalents are now permitted alongside Thai text.

4. Warning Displays

Multiple applicable warnings can now be consolidated and displayed together, provided the complete message is included as specified.

5. Claims about Substances or Ingredients

New guidelines have been established for making claims about food additives and ingredients. Claims should be factual, not deceptive, and provably not false.

6. Label Placement and Design

Labels must be permanently affixed, proportionate to the packaging, and prominently displayed.

7. Display of Trademarks

Symbols related to trademarks or registered trademarks can be displayed with English symbols or text instead of Thai symbols or text.

8. Changes to Miscellaneous Requirements

The notification also includes changes to various labeling requirements:

  • Additional information beyond the specified requirements is now allowed, provided it does not mislead consumers.
  • For foods where net weight cannot be displayed, units (e.g., number of eggs) must be used instead.
  • The ingredient list no longer needs to be in descending order by weight, as this is now only a recommendation.
  • Shellfish, squid, and their products have been added to the Thai FDA’s list of allergens that need to be clearly identified when applicable.
  • Food coloring additives no longer need to be specified as natural or synthetic.
  • Food names no longer need to be displayed in a horizontally continuous manner.

Compliance Timeline

Food products labeled before July 19, 2024, can continue to be sold for up to two years from this date. However, businesses should begin transitioning to the new labeling requirements as soon as possible to ensure full compliance by July 19, 2026.

Recommendations for Food Businesses

This notification on labeling for prepackaged foods contains a number of notable updates and changes. In order to stay compliant with the latest regulations, companies with affected products should:

  • Review current labeling practices against the new requirements.
  • Update labeling designs and information to comply with the new regulations.
  • Notify staff of the new requirements, particularly regarding allergen information and expiration date displays.
  • Ensure any claims made about substances or ingredients meet the new guidelines.

Companies may also wish to adjust their labeling strategies to take advantage of the various flexibilities introduced by the new notification.

Related Professionals

Industries

Life Sciences

Practices

Regulatory Affairs

Location

RELATED INSIGHTS​ 

July 24, 2026
As food innovation continues to accelerate, manufacturers are increasingly introducing ingredients derived from new sources, produced using novel technologies, or lacking a significant history of human consumption. While these innovations create new opportunities for the food industry, they also raise important questions regarding consumer safety. For this reason, many jurisdictions, including Thailand, the European Union, Australia and New Zealand, Canada, and Singapore, require a premarket safety assessment for novel food ingredients before they can be placed on the market. The objective of this assessment is to ensure that each ingredient is safe for its intended use and level of consumption, does not present toxicological, allergenic, microbiological, or nutritional concerns, and will not mislead consumers. Scientific authorities typically evaluate the ingredient’s identity, manufacturing process, composition, specifications, anticipated dietary exposure, toxicological information, nutritional impact, and history of use before determining whether it can be marketed. Against this background, the Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently took an important step toward improving regulatory transparency by publishing, for the first time, a consolidated public list of substances that have successfully completed the Thai FDA’s safety assessment process, including substances determined to be novel foods and those determined not to fall within the novel food category. The list identifies the approved substances, the corresponding manufacturers or importers, approval dates, and the approved conditions of use. Although the publication does not change the existing legal framework governing novel food approvals, it provides businesses with greater visibility into the Thai FDA’s regulatory precedents and the types of substances that have previously been accepted through the safety assessment process. The full announcement is available on the Thai FDA’s website. As the list is now publicly available, it also provides useful insight into the types of substances that have successfully completed the Thai FDA’s safety assessment process.
Read More
July 24, 2026
For businesses in Thailand’s regulated industries, the problem of “too many licenses” is one of the most familiar hurdles to getting a product to market. Take a simple example: importing the materials necessary to sell teriyaki chicken skewers. To legally do this, a business may need approvals from several different agencies—separate permits for the chicken (Department of Livestock Development), the dipping sauce (Thai FDA), the wooden skewers (Department of Forestry), and other ingredients, each under a different authority. This kind of overlap is often cited to argue for a “regulatory guillotine”—a systematic review to cut outdated or duplicative rules that slow investment and business activity. The Facilitation of Licensing and Public Service Consideration Act B.E. 2569 (2026) (Licensing Facilitation Act 2026) is Thailand’s most significant response yet to that concern. This article looks at the Facilitation Act 2026 through a life sciences and regulatory affairs lens—what it may mean for the manufacturers, importers, and distributors of food, drugs, medical devices, cosmetics, and similar products who routinely deal with several regulators to bring a single product to market. The Super License: One Approval Standing in for Many The reform with the clearest potential for regulated-product businesses is the law’s “super license” mechanism, referred to as a “main license” in the statute. Once a business obtains the main license for a regulated activity, it is automatically deemed to hold all related sublicenses issued by other agencies for that same activity, provided the activity has been designated as eligible in the Government Gazette. The Licensing Facilitation Act 2026 also creates a central application center, allowing applicants to submit a single application and pay all relevant fees at one point of contact, with the center routing the application to each agency through a shared information system. The potential benefits of this for businesses
Read More
July 13, 2026
Indonesia’s Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH) has issued new regulations establishing clearer procedures for imposing administrative sanctions on businesses that violate halal product assurance requirements. BPJPH Regulation No. 2 of 2026 on the Imposition of Administrative Sanctions for Violations of Halal Product Assurance Implementation, issued on June 5, 2026, strengthens Indonesia’s halal compliance framework, as mandated under Law No. 33 of 2014 on Halal Product Assurance and Government Regulation No. 42 of 2024 on the Implementation of Halal Product Assurance. BPJPH Regulation No. 2/2026 also supports the upcoming mandatory halal compliance deadline of October 17, 2026, which will apply to a broad range of products and services, including imported food and beverages, slaughtering products and services, natural and quasi-drugs, health supplements, cosmetics, chemical and genetically engineered products, clothing and accessories, household goods, prayer equipment, stationery, and class A medical devices. Scope BPJPH is authorized to impose administrative sanctions for violations of halal product assurance requirements committed by businesses, halal inspection agencies (LPH), halal auditors, halal product process companion institutions (lembaga pendamping PPH), and halal product process companions (pendamping PPH). The head of BPJPH has authority to determine, cancel, or amend the imposition of administrative sanctions, including upon receipt of objections. This authority covers revocation of Halal Certificates (including foreign halal certificate registration numbers), withdrawal of goods from circulation, freezing of LPH operations, freezing of halal product process companion institutions, revocation of PPH companion institution registration numbers, revocation of halal auditor registration numbers, and revocation of LPH accreditation status. Administrative Sanctions Businesses may be subject to any of the following administrative sanctions: Written warning; Administrative fine; Revocation of the halal certificate, including revocation of foreign halal certificate registration numbers; and Withdrawal of goods from circulation. The regulation sets out the types of violations that may trigger these sanctions, with each
Read More
July 1, 2026
Obtaining marketing authorization is a fundamental requirement for bringing pharmaceutical products to the Thai market. Companies must navigate the Thai Food and Drug Administration’s registration procedures while also complying with post-approval pharmacovigilance obligations, licensing requirements for manufacturing and importation, data protection rules, and other regulatory requirements. This guide provides an overview of Thailand’s regulatory framework for pharmaceutical marketing authorization, including available registration pathways, review timelines, application fees, postmarketing surveillance obligations, licensing requirements, exemptions, data exclusivity, freedom of information, and parallel import considerations. It is intended as a practical reference for pharmaceutical companies, regulatory affairs professionals, and others involved in bringing medicinal products to the Thai market. Download the guide below for a concise overview of the current requirements and procedures governing pharmaceutical marketing authorization in Thailand.
Read More