Fostering Harmonization of Labelling and Claims in ASEAN - Industry Perspective. By Ng Kim Keat, Scientific and Regulatory Affairs Director for Asia, Coca-Cola Far East Ltd. Presented at the 9th Seminar on Nutrition Labeling, Claims and Communication Strategies, August 4 ~ 5 August, Manila, Philippines.

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9th Seminar on Nutrition Labeling, Claims and Communication Strategies, ILSI SEAR , 2015 Manila
Fostering Harmonization of
Labelling and Claims in ASEAN –
Industry Perspective
Ng Kim Keat
Scientific and Regulatory
Affairs Director for Asia
Coca-Cola Far East Limited
9th Seminar on Nutrition Labeling, Claims and
Communication Strategies
August 4-5, 2015
Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria, Manila, Philippines

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9th Seminar on Nutrition Labeling, Claims and Communication Strategies, ILSI SEAR , 2015 Manila
Déjà vu, and… Google!
Summary of Seminar
and Workshop on
Nutrition Labelling
and Health Claims, 5–6
April 2001, Singapore
E-Siong Tee, Asia Pacific J Clin Nutr
(2002) 11(2): S65–S67
Found
it!

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9th Seminar on Nutrition Labeling, Claims and Communication Strategies, ILSI SEAR , 2015 Manila
Excerpt from the 2001 “seminar on nutrition labeling and health claim”
summary - Industry perspective to nutrition labelling
Kim Keat Ng …….. felt that nutrition marketing activities are
sorely in need of a set of proper food laws and regulations, or
an industry code of practice to create a fair trade
environment.
The industry welcomes nutrition regulations that are
consumer friendly, allowing room for creativity, but with firm
guidelines to ensure fair trade. Harmonization efforts
among regulators to eliminate technical barriers between
countries are highly encouraged.
E-Siong Tee, Asia Pacific J Clin Nutr (2002) 11(2): S65–S67

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9th Seminar on Nutrition Labeling, Claims and Communication Strategies, ILSI SEAR , 2015 Manila
14 years gone by,…
How are we doing?
Nutrition
Labeling
Health Claim

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9th Seminar on Nutrition Labeling, Claims and Communication Strategies, ILSI SEAR , 2015 Manila
2002
• The format and
requirements for nutrition
labelling differ widely for
countries in the region.
Tee ES et al, APJCN 2002. Current status of nutrition labelling and claims in South-East Asian region: are
we in harmony?

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9th Seminar on Nutrition Labeling, Claims and Communication Strategies, ILSI SEAR , 2015 Manila
ASEAN Common Food
Control Requirements
as guiding principles for ASEAN
as a whole and in particular for the
relevant ASEAN food bodies.
By 2006, ASEAN via PFPWG (est. 2003)
has finalized
The ASEAN Common Principles
and Requirements for the
Labelling of Prepackaged Food
The ASEAN
Common Principles
for Food Control
Systems
The ASEAN
Common Principles
and Requirements
for Food Hygiene
Endorsed by 27th ACCSQ, 2006.
Note: Prepared Foodstuff Product Working Group (PFPWG) was established in 2003 under ASEAN Consultative
Committee on Standards & Quality (ACCSQ)

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9th Seminar on Nutrition Labeling, Claims and Communication Strategies, ILSI SEAR , 2015 Manila
ASEAN Common Principles and Requirements for the
Labelling of Prepackaged Food, endorsed in 2006
6.2 Specific labelling and claims on nutrition based on local
needs may be required:
The declaration of energy, protein, fat and carbohydrate, where appropriate.
Information on energy value should be expressed in kcal per 100g or per 100ml or per package if the package contains
only a single portion or per serving as quantified on the label or per portion provided that the number of portions
contained in the package is stated.
Information on the amounts of protein, carbohydrate and fat in the food should be expressed in g per 100g or per
100ml or per package if the package contains only a single portion or per serving as quantified on the label or per portion
provided that the number of portions contained in the package is stated.
Numerical information on vitamin and mineral should be expressed in metric units and /or as a
percentage of the Nutrient Reference Value per 100g or per 100ml or per
package if the package contains only a single portion or per serving as quantified on the label or per portion provided that
the number of portions contained in the package is stated.
The declaration of nutrient content should be numerical.
Where a claim is made, the amount of that nutrient per 100g or per 100ml expressed in metric unit, and/or per serving
should be declared.
Nutrient declaration should be mandatory for foods for which nutrition claims are made.
Nutrient content claim, nutrient comparative claim and nutrient function claim may be allowed provided they meet with
the minimum criteria set by Codex Guidelines for the Use of Nutrition and Health Claims where applicable.
http://www.asean.org/archive/21915.pdf

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9th Seminar on Nutrition Labeling, Claims and Communication Strategies, ILSI SEAR , 2015 Manila
Nutrient reference values status in 2011 (W. Kasapila et al)
Malaysia
Codex %NRVs used in the expression of vitamins and
nutrients
Thailand, Indonesia, Laos, Vietnam,
Cambodia, Brunei, Singapore, Myanmar
and The Philippines
Local reference values used in the declaration of
micronutrients

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9th Seminar on Nutrition Labeling, Claims and Communication Strategies, ILSI SEAR , 2015 Manila
Different terminology and reference value
RDI
RDA
NRV
GDA
AKG
DV
RENI
….
including industry!
2015

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9th Seminar on Nutrition Labeling, Claims and Communication Strategies, ILSI SEAR , 2015 Manila
ASEAN Food and Beverage Alliance
White Paper, 2014
AFBA identified the
most significant
barriers faced by
industry to trade in
food within ASEAN:
1. Nutrition
labelling
2. Pre-market Product
Registration
3. Import/Export
Certification
4. Authorisation of food
ingredients, additives
and flavours
5. Contaminant limits and
analytical methods
http://afba.co/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/AFBA-White-Paper.pdf

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9th Seminar on Nutrition Labeling, Claims and Communication Strategies, ILSI SEAR , 2015 Manila
Variances in mandatory and voluntary labelling requirements;
AFBA on Nutrition Labeling a TBT
Variances in tolerance levels;
This has a negative bearing on regional competitiveness with the industry having to bear the brunt of
a multitude of costs for redeveloping products and/or packing, resulting in reduced costs for
consumers, less trade, slower growth in some markets and overall loss of regional competitiveness.
Different minimum and maximum limits for vitamins and minerals;
Variances in Nutrition Reference Values (NRVs) used for packaging claims and
NIP formats.
http://afba.co/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/AFBA-White-Paper.pdf

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9th Seminar on Nutrition Labeling, Claims and Communication Strategies, ILSI SEAR , 2015 Manila
Claim – time to get serious
• Guidelines for the Scientific Substantiation of
Nutrition and Health Claims for Foods/
Functional Foods*
• Developed at ILSI SEA Region’s Expert Consultation
on Functional Foods, December 5-6, 2005, Singapore
& 3rd Asia Region Workshop, July 18, 2006, Malaysia
• Access the Guidelines at http://tinyurl.com/ILSI-
guideline-substantiation

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9th Seminar on Nutrition Labeling, Claims and Communication Strategies, ILSI SEAR , 2015 Manila
Challenges
Harmonization process is complex
ASEAN countries are confronted with
differing levels of development,
capacities and determination which hamper
the progress of harmonization.

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9th Seminar on Nutrition Labeling, Claims and Communication Strategies, ILSI SEAR , 2015 Manila
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Surviving through
Compliance Cost
Complexity, inefficiency and
uncertainty of food supply chain

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9th Seminar on Nutrition Labeling, Claims and Communication Strategies, ILSI SEAR , 2015 Manila
We can do better
Are we ready for the arrival of
e-Commerce, Digital Health,
Personalized Nutrition?
Consumer Expectation
now and future

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9th Seminar on Nutrition Labeling, Claims and Communication Strategies, ILSI SEAR , 2015 Manila
ASEAN needs Common labelling
standards for common information

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9th Seminar on Nutrition Labeling, Claims and Communication Strategies, ILSI SEAR , 2015 Manila
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Proposal

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9th Seminar on Nutrition Labeling, Claims and Communication Strategies, ILSI SEAR , 2015 Manila
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Labelling
Revision of The ASEAN Common Principles and Requirements for the
Labelling of Prepackaged Food
Step by step approach
Implementation Guidelines
Mutual Recognition Agreement

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9th Seminar on Nutrition Labeling, Claims and Communication Strategies, ILSI SEAR , 2015 Manila
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Claim
A call to establish “ASEAN Expert
Group on Nutrition & Dietetic”

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9th Seminar on Nutrition Labeling, Claims and Communication Strategies, ILSI SEAR , 2015 Manila
Thank You!
Questions?
Ng Kim Keat
kimng@coca-cola.com