Indonesia orders food companies to apply colour-graded sugar, fat content stickers

JAKARTA, April 15 – Indonesia will require food and beverage companies to apply colour-graded labels for products high in salt, sugar, and fat in two years in a bid to combat obesity and other health risks, according to a new health ministry decree seen by Reuters.

Reuters first reported the plan to introduce labelling norms last year. Here are some details:

* In a ministerial decree issued on Tuesday, Indonesiaofficially released a traffic-light “nutri-level” system of redlabels for items high in fat, salt and sugar and green for thosewith low levels. * Companies may independently add a sticker with thecorresponding colours on their products based on test resultsfrom government laboratories, the decree showed. * The norms will be mandatory in two years, the decreeshowed, although it did not provide any details on sanctions forcompanies that do not comply. * Stickers must also be added to menus at stores that sellready-made products, the decree showed. * More than 40 countries have established similar systems,whether voluntary or mandatory, the Organisation for EconomicCooperation and Development group of nations said in 2023.Singapore also has a similar system. * Health ministry data shows that obesity rates doubled inthe decade up to 2023 in Indonesia, the world’s fourth mostpopulous nation with 280 million people. Child agency UNICEF hasalso warned of obesity risks for one in three adults and one infive school-age children. * The decree follows lobbying by the United States anddomestic manufacturers, who urged President Prabowo Subianto toreconsider the plan, Reuters reported last year.

(Reporting by Stanley Widianto; Editing by David Stanway)