Nutri-Grade grades drinks A to D on sugar and saturated fat per 100 ml. The planned mid-2027 extension grades prepacked sauces, seasonings, instant noodles, salt and cooking oil by sub-category. Grades C and D carry a front-of-pack label. Grade D cannot be advertised, apart from point-of-sale material for prepacked drinks in shops such as supermarkets. The 2027 thresholds are published but not yet gazetted. HPB's measures and status distinguish the current drinks rules from the planned extension.
As of October 2026, drinks are already regulated and the food extension is a published specification awaiting legislation. Sources checked on 3 October 2026. This page is a reading of the instruments, not legal advice. Use the applicable category and nutrient basis when setting a recipe target; a threshold for a sauce cannot be substituted for one for a drink.
Which products are graded, and since when
Prepacked drinks and drinks from non-customisable automated dispensers have been in scope since 30 December 2022. Freshly prepared drinks and customisable dispensers entered scope on 30 December 2023. Alcoholic beverages and special purpose foods are excluded, according to HPB's product scope. MOH's 6 April 2025 announcement, paragraph 4 plans the mid-2027 extension to all 23 prepacked sub-categories of salt, sauces, seasonings, instant noodles and cooking oil sold in retail settings.
Drinks: the A to D table per 100 ml and the sweetener rule
The drinks thresholds below are per 100 ml. Grade sugar and saturated fat separately and use the poorer result. Sixteenth Schedule paragraphs 3 and 4 provide the bands; paragraph 6(a) measures sugar as total sugar minus lactose and galactose. A low sugar value alone therefore does not establish the final grade. Keep both measurements in the product assessment so a change in one nutrient does not hide the other.
| Grade | Sugar (g) | Saturated fat (g) |
|---|---|---|
| A | At most 1 | At most 0.7 |
| B | Above 1 to 5 | Above 0.7 to 1.2 |
| C | Above 5 to 10 | Above 1.2 to 2.8 |
| D | Above 10 | Above 2.8 |
A drink containing a substance added in place of sugar cannot receive Grade A under Sixteenth Schedule paragraph 5. The sweetener rule operates alongside the nutrient bands, so a recipe at the Grade A sugar and saturated-fat ceilings still needs that ingredient check. Our sugar-reduction guide explains the rule in a beverage reformulation brief. The table gives nutrient grades; it does not waive paragraph 5.
Sauces, seasonings, noodles and oil: how the final grade is set
For the planned extension, the final grade is the poorest nutrient grade under HPB specification section 4(b). Thresholds are on an as-sold basis, while powdered sauces may be graded in their as-prepared form under the notes to section 3. Grade A sodium for sauces, seasonings and instant noodles cannot exceed 4,000 mg per 100 g. Record which form was assessed alongside the category, rather than comparing a prepared sauce measurement with an as-sold threshold.
Section 4(c) sets a tie-break rule: where two or more nutrients give the same grade, the label calls out sodium first, then sugar, then saturated fat. This determines the nutrient named on the mark when grades tie. It does not change the poorest-grade calculation. Cite section 4(c) in the label review when the finished product has two nutrients setting the same final grade.
Sauces, seasonings, noodles and oil: the threshold tables
These selected tables reproduce the figures in HPB specification section 3. All sodium and sugar quantities are per 100 g of product. Saturated fat is also per 100 g except for cooking oil, where the threshold is its percentage share of total fat. The first table gives all sodium bands for Herb, spice and seasoning mix, S/N 20. Use the full specification for category definitions and any intermediate band not reproduced here.
| Grade A | Grade B | Grade C | Grade D |
|---|---|---|---|
| At most 2,500 | Above 2,500 to 7,500 | Above 7,500 to 16,000 | Above 16,000 |
The following Grade A ceilings and Grade D boundaries cover five other selected sub-categories. A result below the Grade D boundary is not automatically Grade A: compare it with the relevant Grade A ceiling, then consult section 3 for the B and C bands. The units stay attached to each row because the cooking-oil percentage and a sauce's sodium concentration describe different measurements.
| Sub-category | Nutrient and unit | Grade A ceiling | Grade D above |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato-based sauce (S/N 14) | Sodium, mg per 100 g | 250 | 450 |
| Ketchup and brown sauce (S/N 8) | Sodium, mg per 100 g | 700 | 1,100 |
| Light or flavoured soya sauce (S/N 3) | Sodium, mg per 100 g | 4,000 | 6,500 |
| Instant noodle dry (S/N 21) | Sodium, mg per 100 g | 800 | 1,500 |
| Cooking oil (S/N 23) | Saturated fat, % of total fat | 13 | 30 |
For the secondary nutrients shown below, the A and B ceilings are identical. Sugar or saturated fat therefore cannot separate A from B in these rows; another nutrient can set that distinction. Assess every nutrient required for the chosen sub-category and take the poorest grade. These extracts cover S/N 20, 14, 8, 3 and 21; HPB's full 23-sub-category specification is the source for the remaining products.
| Sub-category | Nutrient | A and B ceiling | Grade D above |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herb, spice and seasoning mix (S/N 20) | Sugar | 13 | 20 |
| Herb, spice and seasoning mix (S/N 20) | Saturated fat | 1 | 4 |
| Tomato-based sauce (S/N 14) | Sugar | 5 | 6 |
| Tomato-based sauce (S/N 14) | Saturated fat | 0.8 | 1.5 |
| Ketchup and brown sauce (S/N 8) | Sugar | 25 | 31 |
| Light or flavoured soya sauce (S/N 3) | Sugar | 10 | 16 |
| Instant noodle dry (S/N 21) | Saturated fat | 8 | 9 |
Label and advertising consequences
For current drinks, C and D require a mark on the front of prepacked products or next to freshly prepared menu listings; A and B marks are optional. Grade D cannot be advertised, apart from point-of-sale material for prepacked drinks in shops such as supermarkets. HPB's labelling and advertising measures set out that exception. Keep the advertising decision alongside the pack and menu review, since a nutrient grade affects both.
For the planned 2027 foods, C and D marks will appear on the front of pack and online listings, while D advertising will be prohibited online and physically. The updated mark will name the nutrient that sets the grade, subject to the same-grade tie-break in section 4(c). See HPB's extended measures and MOH paragraph 4(e) and (f). These are the published measures for the planned extension.
Where the 2027 measure stands
As of October 2026, the extension is not yet gazetted. HPB describes the specification as an early reference subject to World Trade Organisation consultations and pending gazettal; MOH paragraph 8 describes consultation on draft provisions. Singapore Statutes Online's Food Regulations showed the current version as at 3 October 2026 with no amendment after S 92/2025. Treat the published tables as planning targets and check for the eventual instrument before approving compliance wording.
What this means when you brief a flavour supplier
When briefing a flavour supplier in Singapore, name the finished product's sub-category, the measured nutrient values, the preparation basis and the intended grade. Ask for trials in that recipe and the documents needed for the label review. Our salt-reduction guide, salt-reduction page and sugar-reduction guide provide related reading. MOH paragraph 7(a) names the Healthier Ingredient Development Scheme as support for eligible suppliers; eligibility needs its own assessment.
Read the Singapore flavouring regulations alongside the nutrient target, and use the SFA flavour-labelling article and halal flavour-certification article for the associated documentation questions. The companion articles explain Healthier Choice Symbol against Nutri-Grade and the Food Safety and Security Act's effect on flavours.
Frequently asked questions
How is Nutri-Grade calculated for drinks?
Sugar and saturated fat are graded separately per 100 ml and the poorer result sets the grade. Sugar is total sugar minus lactose and galactose. A substance added in place of sugar prevents Grade A under Sixteenth Schedule paragraphs 3 to 6.
Are the 2027 sauce and seasoning thresholds already law?
As of October 2026, the thresholds are published but not yet gazetted. HPB describes the specification as subject to World Trade Organisation consultations and pending gazettal.
