Understand and Use
Nutrition Claims
Control of Nutrition Claims
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Nutrition claim means any representation
which states, suggests or implies that a food
has particular nutritional properties.
From 1 July 2010, all nutrition claims must
meet certain specified conditions.
Nutrition claims on food labels and
advertisements are all regulated.
Nutrition claims include:

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Nutrient content claim
Nutrient comparative claim
Nutrient function claim
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Control of Nutrition Claims
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The amount of nutrient involved in a
nutrition claim must be declared on the
nutrition label.
If a nutrition claim is made in relation to
any type of fat, the amount of
cholesterol must be declared on the
nutrition label as well.
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Nutrient Content Claim– Example
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Nutrient Content Claim

It describes the level of a nutrient contained
in a food.
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Overall speaking, nutrient content claims
include:

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E.g. “High calcium”, “Low fat”, “Sugars free”
“Free” claim
“Very low” claim (for sodium only)
“Low” claim
“Source” claim
“High” claim
Words with similar meaning may be used
as well.
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Nutrient Content Claim
Claim
Free; No;
Zero;
Without;
Does not
contain
Meaning of Claim
Example with
conditions
stipulated in law
Insignificant amount
Fat free
of a particular nutrient (containing not
found in the food.
more than 0.5 g
of fat per 100
g/mL of food)
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Nutrient Content Claim
This category of claim applies to sodium only
Claim
Very low;
Extremely low;
Super low
(for sodium only)
Meaning of
Claim
A very small
amount of
sodium found
in the food.
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Example with
conditions stipulated
in law
Very low sodium
(containing not more
than 40 mg of
sodium per 100 g/mL
of food)
Nutrient Content Claim
Claim
Meaning of
Example with conditions
Claim
stipulated in law
Low; Little; A small amount Low fat
Low source; of nutrient found (containing not more
Few;
in the food.
than 3 g of fat per 100 g
Contains a
of solid food; not more
small
than 1.5 g of fat per 100
amount of
mL of liquid food)
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Nutrient Content Claim
Claim
Meaning of Claim Example with conditions
stipulated in law
Source;
A significant
Source of calcium
Contains; amount of a
(containing not less than
With;
particular nutrient 120 mg of calcium per
Provides; found in the food. 100 g of solid food;
Has
not less than 60 mg of
calcium per 100 mL of
liquid food)
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Nutrient Content Claim
Claim
Meaning of
Claim
High; Good A very
source; High significant
source; Rich amount of a
in; Plenty of particular
nutrient found
in the food.
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Example with conditions
stipulated in law
High calcium
(containing not less
than 240 mg of calcium
per 100 g of solid food;
not less than 120 mg of
calcium per 100 mL of
liquid food)
Nutrient Comparative Claim - Example
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Nutrient Comparative Claim

It compares the nutrient levels of two or more
same or similar types of food products.

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E.g. “Reduced fat - 25% less than the regular
product of the same brand”
Wordings with similar meaning may be used.
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Nutrient Comparative Claim
Claim
Meaning of Claim
Example with
conditions stipulated
in law
Less; Reduced;
Lower; Fewer;
Light
Contains considerably
less of a particular
nutrient when compared
with a similar food.
Reduced
Higher; Extra;
Added; More;
Plus; Increased
Contains considerably
more of a particular
nutrient when compared
with a similar food.
Extra
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in fat
(at least 25% less fat)
dietary fibre
(at least 25% more
dietary fibre)
Nutrient Function Claim - Example
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Nutrient Function Claim
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It describes the physiological role of a nutrient in
growth, development and normal functions of the
body.
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It must fulfil several general principles, such as:
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The claim must be supported by science.
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The information about the physiological role of the claimed
nutrient must be included in the claim.
Examples of common nutrient function claims:
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“Calcium builds strong bones”
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“Iron is a factor in red blood cell formation”
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Other Representation
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The following would not be considered as
a nutrition claim:
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“No MSG”
“With electrolytes”
“Unsweetened”/ “less sweet”
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Use Nutrition Claim Wisely
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Nutrition claims appear on the package only
give a rough idea about the content of a
particular nutrient; very often nutrition claims
are made for a specific nutrient only.
We should not make a food choice solely on the
basis of a nutrition claim. In order to eat
healthily, we should take note of other nutrients
as well.
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For example, a product with a “low sugars” claim
may have high fat content.
The best practice is to refer to the nutrition label
for detailed information.
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Nutrition Label and Healthy Eating
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Principles of Healthy Eating
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Choose a variety of food and eat cereals as
the largest portion of food in every meal.
Eat a lot of vegetables and fruit.
Reduce the consumption of foodstuffs with
high salt, fat and sugar content as well as
those which are preserved.
A daily fluid intake of 6 to 8 glasses
(including clear soup, fruit juice and tea).
Take meals regularly and in adequate
amounts.
(Source of information: Department of Health)
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Nutrition Labelling is a Useful Tool
for Practising Healthy Eating
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Nutrition label and nutrition claim can
help consumers choose healthier food in
accordance with healthy eating principles
and the Food Pyramid, e.g.
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Choose biscuits lower in fat and sodium (or
salt)
Choose dairy products lower in fat
Choose beverages lower in sugars
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Nutrients that Needed to
Limit their Intake
For a 2000-kcal diet, the daily limit should be:
Total fat
Saturated
fat
Trans fat
Getting too much
affects heart
health and
increases the risk
of overweight and
obesity.
 60 g*
 20 g*
1 tablespoon of
 2.2 g*
oil provides
about 14 g of fat.
* Individual intake amounts may be higher or lower depending on energy
requirements.
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Nutrients that Needed to
Limit their Intake
For a 2000-kcal diet, the daily limit should be:
Sugars
Sodium
Getting too much
increases the risk of
overweight and
obesity.
 50 g*
Getting too much
 2000
increases the risk of
mg
high blood pressure.
1 cube / 1 teaspoon of
sugars provides about
5 g of sugars.
1 teaspoon of salt
(about 5 g) provides about
2000 mg of sodium.
* Individual intake amounts may be higher or lower depending on energy
requirements.
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Nutrients that Needed to
Have Appropriate Amount
For a 2000-kcal diet, the daily amount
should be around:
Protein
60 g*
Carbohydrates
300 g*
* Individual intake amounts may be higher or lower
depending on energy requirements.
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Intake of Other Nutrients
For an average adult, try to set the daily amount
of about:
Dietary fibre Facilitates proper bowel function,
lowering of blood cholesterol
level and weight management.
 25 g
Calcium
Promotes bone and teeth health.
 800 mg
Vitamin C
Prevents scurvy and promotes
wound healing.
 100 mg
Cholesterol
High blood cholesterol is a risk
factor for heart diseases.
≤ 300 mg
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Use Nutrition Labels to Choose
“3 Low” Prepackaged Food
How to Choose “3 Low”
Prepackaged Food
“3 Low”--- Low fat, Low sodium (or Low salt),
Low sugars
1.
Use nutrition claim as a quick screening tool; and
2.
Take three simple steps to read nutrition label,
and choose food lower in fat, sodium and sugars
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How to Choose “3 Low”
Prepackaged Food
The words below are considered as synonyms for nutrition
claims, they may help you choose food with low/free fat,
sodium or sugars:
Claim
Meaning of Claim
Free; No; Zero; Without;
Does not contain
Insignificant amount of a particular
nutrient found in the food
Very low; Extremely low;
Super low
This category of claim applies to
sodium only, meaning a very small
amount of sodium found in the food
Low; Little; Low source; Few;
Contains a small amount of
A small amount of nutrient found in
the food
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How to Choose “3 Low”
Prepackaged Food
Three Simple Steps to Read Nutrition Label
Step 1
 Take note of the reference amount of food being
used in the nutrition label
Step 2
 Read and compare the nutritional content
Step 3
 Refer to the percentage Nutrient Reference Value
(%NRV) (If available)
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How to Choose “3 Low” Prepackaged
Food – Example 1
Milk Beverage A
Milk Beverage B
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How to Choose “3 Low” Prepackaged
Food – Example 2
Corn Flakes C
Corn Flakes D
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How to Choose “3 Low” Prepackaged
Food – Example 3
Soup E
Soup F
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END