Singapore's Health Promotion Board (HPB) revised the implementation timeline for the Nutri-Grade extension to prepacked salt, sauces, seasonings, instant noodles and cooking oils (SSSIO) in its update of October 3, 2026, pushing the entry into force from mid-2027 to 2028. The update supersedes the previous mid-2027 commencement announced by the Ministry of Health (MOH) in April 2025 and applies to 23 sub-categories of prepacked SSSIO products sold in retail settings.
Singapore manufacturers, importers, brand owners and retailers of prepacked SSSIO products, and overseas SSSIO brand owners exporting into Singapore retail, must re-plan product reformulation and Nutri-Grade labelling and advertising-prohibition compliance for entry into force in 2028, instead of mid-2027, while tracking the pending World Trade Organisation (WTO) consultation and gazettal of the specifications, or face a prohibition on the sale of grade C and D SSSIO products without the front-of-pack Nutri-Grade mark and a ban on advertising grade D products once the measures are in force.
What changed in the Nutri-Grade timeline?
HPB's update of October 3, 2026 on the Measures for Nutri-Grade page replaces the mid-2027 commencement with a 2028 entry into force for the extension to SSSIO products. HPB states that the revised timeline allows MOH and HPB to further refine the Nutri-Grade requirements and review product categories such as all-in-one sauces in response to evolving consumer preferences and industry feedback, and gives industry more time to reformulate products and prepare for implementation.
The change follows the National Population Health Survey (NPHS) 2024 findings, which show hypertension and high blood cholesterol remain prevalent among Singapore residents, affecting approximately 1 in 3 residents. The specifications for the extension, covering product scope and grading thresholds, remain subject to WTO consultation and pending gazettal, so the 2028 date stands against specifications that are not yet final. HPB has published the specifications document as early reference to support reformulation.
| Item | Previous | Revised |
|---|---|---|
| Nutri-Grade SSSIO extension entry into force | mid-2027 | 2028 |
| Specifications status | consultation draft | subject to WTO consultation and pending gazettal |
| Front-of-pack Nutri-Grade mark (grade C/D SSSIO) | from mid-2027 | from 2028 |
| Grade D SSSIO advertising prohibition | from mid-2027 | from 2028 |
Who must comply with the Nutri-Grade SSSIO extension?
The extension covers 23 sub-categories of prepacked salt, sauces, seasonings, instant noodles and cooking oils (SSSIO) sold in retail settings. The exposed actors by market exposure are Singapore importers and manufacturers of prepacked sauces, seasonings and instant noodles, Singapore brand owners and producers of prepacked cooking oils and salt, Singapore retailers and distributors of prepacked SSSIO products, and overseas SSSIO brand owners exporting prepacked sauces, seasonings, instant noodles and cooking oils into Singapore retail.
SSSIO products must be graded A, B, C or D under a differentiated grading system based on the levels of nutrients of concern, sodium and saturated fat, within each product sub-category. Products graded C or D must display the Nutri-Grade mark on the front-of-pack of product packaging and on online listings; labelling of products graded A or B remains optional, and the updated label design will also apply to beverages.
What must industry do before 2028?
- Re-plan reformulation and Nutri-Grade grading workstreams against the 2028 timeline instead of mid-2027, using the published specifications document as early reference for thresholds and product scope.
- Review all-in-one sauces and other sub-categories whose specifications are still under refinement by MOH and HPB.
- Prepare front-of-pack Nutri-Grade mark artwork for products projected to grade C or D, and plan for online-listing marks on e-commerce and marketplace listings.
- Build compliance for the grade D advertising prohibition across online and physical spaces, as set out in the SSSIO update.
- Track the WTO consultation and gazettal of the specifications, since the 2028 date and the final thresholds depend on those steps.
Continuous, per-jurisdiction real-time monitoring surfaces a timeline change like this the moment HPB publishes it, so compliance teams re-plan against the official 2028 date rather than a stale mid-2027 assumption.
What happens once the measures are in force?
Once the extended measures enter into force in 2028, the sale of grade C and D SSSIO products without the Nutri-Grade mark on packaging and online listings will be prohibited under the Food Regulations, and advertising of grade D SSSIO products will be prohibited across online and physical spaces. Companies are not required to register product artwork or submit test results before applying the Nutri-Grade mark, but remain responsible for the accuracy of the grade they assign.
The Food Regulations and the Specifications of the Nutri-Grade mark and Sugar Declaration remain the authoritative technical references. The Sale of Food Act 1973 and its Food Regulations continue to anchor the Nutri-Grade regime; the remaining tranches of the Food Safety and Security Act 2025, including the repeal of the Sale of Food Act, are expected by 2028.
Verify whether your SSSIO product portfolio falls within the 23 sub-categories, re-baseline reformulation and labelling milestones to 2028, brief procurement and marketing teams on the grade D advertising prohibition, and monitor the WTO consultation and gazettal for the final thresholds.
