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​ 

December 7, 2020
It is strongly recommended that entities which are considering entering the Thai cannabis market file applications to protect their marks and patents in Thailand as soon as possible. Cannabis Trademarks Thailand operates under a first-to-file trademark system. The Thai Trademark Office has verbally confirmed that trademark applications which include goods or services relating to medical cannabis are registrable. That being said, recent developments indicate that the Trademark Office will require applicants who file specifically for medical cannabis goods or services to submit proof that the applicant has permission to produce drugs containing cannabis from the Thai Food and Drug Administration. In addition, the Trademark Office is taking a conservative approach when it comes to the words and images that are registrable as trademarks. The Trademark Office has advised that words or images relating to cannabis will be refused based on Section 8(9) of the Thai Trademark Act, which states that a trademark that is contrary to public order, morality, or public policy shall not be registered. Given the above, applicants should carefully consider the trademarks that they would like to protect in Thailand to avoid unnecessary refusals. If the applicant does not yet have such permission from the Thai Food and Drug Administration, it is recommended that the applicant’s mark make no reference to cannabis, either visually or verbally, and that the list of goods and/or services does not specifically refer to cannabis or related terminology. In short, we urge applicants to enter into the Thai market early, with carefully-chosen marks and deliberately-worded descriptions of goods and/or services. Cannabis Patents Cannabis-related products and processes are now eligible for patent protection in Thailand, with some restrictions. A cannabis plant, including its parts and crude extract, are considered mere products of nature and thus not patentable. Another important restriction applies to
Read More
December 7, 2020
Vietnam’s efforts against the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country have been largely successful, and despite two distinct spikes of local transmission, in both cases the spread was halted relatively quickly. As these complications from the COVID-19 pandemic have been playing out in Vietnam throughout 2020, it became clear that effective and strong enforcement of healthcare regulations, especially those related to disease control, was crucial. On September 28, 2020, the government of Vietnam took action on this by issuing Decree No. 117/2020/ND-CP (“Decree 117”), which provides penalties for administrative violations in the healthcare sector. Some provisions of Decree 117—mostly those related to disease control and epidemic situations—took effect immediately, with the remainder taking effect on November 15, 2020. The decree, which was based on a draft proposed by the Ministry of Health, replaced Decree No. 176/2013/ND-CP on the same matter. The main administrative penalties under Decree 117 are reprimands and fines. Depending on the severity of the violation, violators may also be subject to additional penalties such as suspension of a certificate of eligibility for pharmaceutical business (CEPB), a license for healthcare operation, or other licenses and practicing certificates for up to 24 months; confiscation of illegal items; suspension of operations for up to 24 months; or deportation. Furthermore, remedial measures such as forced return of illegal earnings, compulsory quarantine and medical examination, public correction, or compulsory payment of treatment fees may also be applied. Some key highlights of Decree 117 are discussed below. In relation to disease control, the maximum fine for failure to comply with quarantine is doubled to VND 20 million (USD 855) for infected people of type-A contagious diseases, and VND 10 million (USD 427) for those who are not infected but are asked to quarantine. Failure to declare one’s contagious disease to a doctor
Read More
November 30, 2020
Vietnamese cuisine has a growing reputation internationally, and a visit to Vietnam will quickly reveal that food plays a very important role in the country’s identity and culture, as well as its economy. More than 80% of the population makes a living through some form of agriculture, and approximately 35% of household income in Vietnam is spent on food and beverages. As food is the most essential of necessities, and thus the first priority in household spending, this percentage tends to be high in developing countries, declining as incomes rise.
Read More
November 17, 2020
The Thailand updates to Practical Law’s Life Sciences Global Guide  have been released online, with legal practitioners from Tilleke & Gibbins contributing the Pharmaceutical Intellectual Property and Competition Law section.The guide is a Q&A-style overview of the regulatory frameworks of the life sciences industries across multiple jurisdictions worldwide, with this chapter addressing the following issues as they relate to Thailand:
Read More