1. Definition
As per Notification of Ministry of Public Health No. 293 Re: Food Supplement, food supplement in Thailand refers to products taken for consume which contain nutrients and/or other substances as ingredients in the forms of tablets, capsules, powders, flakes, liquids or others.
The nutrients and/or other substances commonly contained in food supplements include:
(1) Vitamins, amino acids, fatty acids, minerals and products obtained from plants or animals.
(2) Concentrates, metabolites composition, or extracts of substances of (1).
(3) Artificial substances imitating like substances of (1) or (2).
(4) Mixtures of one or more substances of (1) (2) or (3).
(5) Substances or others in Food and Drug Administration prescribed according to Food Committee’s approval.
2. Competent authority
The competent authority for food supplement in Thailand is Thailand Food and Drug Administration (Thai FDA), a department subordinated to Ministry of Public Health (MOPH). It is responsible for product evaluation and registration, licensing, quality control, and post-market surveillance.
3. Market access approval
3.1 Import license
According to Food Act B.E. 2522, food importers with a company based in Thailand should obtain an import license, also called “warehouse license”, for the food categories they intend to import. The warehouse for the food supplements should comply with corresponding requirements.
3.2 Foreign manufacturer accreditation
A foreign manufacturer should be accredited so as to register the food supplement products in Thailand. It needs to provide a valid certificate of quality standard (ISO 22000, HACCP, or GMP) issued by a recognized international accreditation body.
3.3 Product registration
All food products exporting to Thailand should have a food serial number, which have varying requirements depending on the product type. As per Food Act B.E. 2522, food supplement is categorized as standardized food. Therefore, it needs to be registered with Thai FDA for the food serial number. Please check Market Access to Thailand: All You Have to Know on Dietary Supplements Regulation for more details.
4. Product compliance
4.1 Product requirements
Ministry of Public Health Notification (No. 293) B.E. 2548 2005 is the major reference for the compliance of health supplements in Thailand, which specifies the product definition, administration measures, microorganism level, food ingredients and labeling requirements. It is noteworthy that several amendments were drafted based on the 2005 version. Please click here for the latest requirements and the revision chronology.
4.2 Food ingredients
Food ingredients used in food supplements mainly include vitamins & minerals, key ingredients, amino acids and food additives.
The use of key ingredients in food supplements should be referred to Announcement from the Food and Drug Administration Regarding Recommendations for the Use of Key Ingredients in Dietary Supplements, which specifies the permitted substances, edible parts, production process, condition, etc.
For amino acid dietary supplements, the permitted amino acids are included in List of Important Components of Amino Acid Dietary Supplements.
For vitamin and mineral supplements product, they shall contain no less than 15% and no more than the maximum level of vitamin or minerals as specified in the recommended Thai Daily Intake. Please check List of Important Components of Vitamin and Mineral Dietary Supplements for the details. However, for vitamins or minerals without specified maximum level in the recommended Thai Daily Intake, they shall comply with notifications issued by the FDA with approval from the Food Committee.
The use of food additives should follow MOPH Notification No. 418 B.E.2020 Re: Prescribing the Principle, Conditions, Methods, and Proportion of Food Additives (No.2).
If the ingredient used are not included in the positive lists above, then it may be deemed as novel ingredient. In this case, enterprises need to apply for novel ingredient registration for the application, and submit safety evaluation documents for label approval.
4.3 Label
The label of food supplements should be indicated in Thai language, but foreign language text may also be presented. It shall not contain any false or misleading information.
The following information must be indicated on the package:
Product name
Food serial number
Name and address of the manufacturer, distributor, or importer
Net weight
Name and content of key components per unit
Allergen substance
Function group name and specific name of food additives
The text “natural flavor”, “synthetic flavor”, etc. if any.
The text "Contains … (the blank space is to specify the type of packaging and the type of material used to maintain the quality or standard of the food, such as desiccant packet, oxygen absorber packet, etc.) in red font with font size not less than 3 mm on a white background.
Warning statements
Expiration date or best consume before date
Consumption instructions
Storage instructions (if any)
Text regarding food production place assessment (if any).
Nutrition labels (if any)
In addition, if the enterprise proposes to declare health claims for the food supplement products, the health claims must be evaluated by FDA first. Please check Manual for the Public: Request for Health Claim Assessment of Food for the criteria, conditions, documents required and procedures for the health claim evaluation.
Recommended resources
Thailand Dietary Supplements Regulation Guideline (in Thai)
* Global Food Compliance Service
We provide various market entry services to help stakeholders better understand exporting requirements, establish business and secure a competitive place to facilitate trade development.
Covered Countries
China, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, United States, European Union, Australia, New Zealand etc.
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