Updated | Thailand Revises the Food Additives Standard

Update in December 2023:

As revealed by Thailand's Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) Notification No. 444 issued on December 7, 2023, Thai FDA finalized the new Regulation regarding Prescribing the Principle, Conditions, Methods, and Proportion of Food Additives (No.3). The new version replaces MOPH Notification No. 418 and became effective from December 7, 2023. Please check here for the latest requirements for permissible food additives usage in Thailand.

Enterprises are given a two-year transitional period after the new regulation takes effect. The FDA clarifies that food products using food additives in compliance with MOPH Notification No. 418 (the version to be repealed) can continue to be sold within two years from the effective date of the new regulation.

Update in October 2023:

On October 5, 2023, Thailand Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provided an update on the proposed amendments to MOPH Notification Re: Prescribing the Principle, Conditions, Methods and Proportion of Food Additives (No.3). The amendments are currently awaiting signature by the Minister of Public Health. Once signed, the FDA will send the it to the Secretariat of the Cabinet for publication in the Government Gazette for legal enforcement. The finalized version is expected to be published soon.

Enterprises will be given a two-year transitional period after the new version comes into effect. The FDA clarifies that food products using food additives in compliance with MOPH Notification No. 418 (the version to be repealed) can continue to be sold within two years from the effective date of the new regulation.

In addition, the authority detailed the amendments to the use of food additives in Thailand, which can be viewed here. Pay attention:

(1) Where blue "xxxx" appears, these indicate additional or revised conditions and details compared to MOPH Notification No. 418.

(2) Where red text with strikethrough "xxxx" appears, these conditions and details will be repealed from MOPH Notification No. 418.

According to WTO G/SPS/N/THA/581 notification issued on September 13, 2022, Thailand Food and Drug Administration proposed to amend MOPH Notification Re: Prescribing the Principle, Conditions, Methods and Proportion of Food Additives. The revision will come to effect since the date of promulgation in the Government Gazette.

As revealed by the draft, quite a few food additives are revoked in some food categories, including sucroglycerides, sucrose esters of fatty acids, sucrose oligoesters (type I and type II), acesulfame potassium, etc.

Additionally, the application scopes of some food additives are expanded. Some substances are subject to new maximum use levels. The products involved include fats and oils, chocolate and chocolate products, cocoa bean products, jams, jellies, and marmalades. Some key points are listed as below:

Fats and oil

The maximum use level of some food additives in vegetable oils and fats are changed.

Jams, jellies, marmalades

The maximum use level of some food additives in processed fruit are changed.

The following substances are newly added as food additives for jams, jellies and marmalades.

Chocolate and chocolate products

• The maximum use level of ASPARTAME decreased to 2,000 mg/kg from 3,000 mg/kg in cocoa and chocolate products.

• Lutein, Tagetes erecta L. can be used in confectionary, whose usage amount is the same as GMP.

The expressions in some notes are updated in the draft as well. Please refer to MOPH Notification Re: Prescribing the Principle, Conditions, Methods and Proportion of Food Additives (No. 3) for more details.