Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on Misleading Advertisments in the Food and Beverage sector

Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on Misleading Advertisments in the Food and Beverage sectorby Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment

Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) what are the measures in place to ensure that food and beverage companies accurately represent the nutritional content of their products in advertisements; and (b) how does the Ministry detect and enforce misleading advertisements in the food and beverage sector, particularly those related to health and nutritional claims.

Answer:

1 The Sale of Food Act sets out requirements for food labelling in Singapore. Singapore Food Agency (SFA) requires all prepacked food and beverages for sale in Singapore to carry a label with the product’s name or description and its ingredients. Companies must also abide by the Health Promotion Board (HPB)’s Nutri-Grade measures for beverages, which covers labelling requirements and advertising restrictions.

2 SFA and HPB monitor the market and conduct checks to ensure the accuracy of information provided to consumers. Enforcement action will be taken under the Sale of Food Act against any person who makes false or misleading claims.

3 The Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore administers the Singapore Code of Advertising Practice (SCAP), which promotes ethical advertising and sets out guidelines to tackle false or misleading claims. Those who contravene the SCAP could face sanctions by the industry or investigations by the relevant authorities.