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Thailand’s Healthier Choice logo: who can use it and how
What Thailand's Healthier Choice logo is
Thailand's Healthier Choice logo is the round nutrition symbol you see on the front of some food packs, labelled in Thai
The symbol is not mandatory for any food. The notification is written for those who intend to display it. Once you choose to use it, though, the food must be inspected and certified first, and the format, nutrient criteria and conditions all apply. For a brand owner it is a communication tool that can be used only when the formula really meets the criteria.
The rules sit in two layers. The first is MOPH Notification No. 373, amended by No. 453 of 2024, which sets the main principles. The second is a set of notices from the Subcommittee for Developing and Promoting the Use of Simplified Nutrition Symbols, which set the symbol format and the nutrient criteria for each food group. This article summarises both layers from the documents in our regulation archive and says plainly where the archive does not cover a point.
Who can use the Healthier Choice logo and who certifies it
Notification No. 453, in force since 17 October 2024, rewrote clause 2 of No. 373. A producer for sale, importer for sale or seller of food that wishes to show the nutrition symbol on its label must first have that food inspected and certified by the Institute of Nutrition, Mahidol University, or another agency assigned by the Committee on Strategy for Linking Food and Nutrition to Good Quality of Life under the National Food Committee. Only after inspection and certification may the symbol appear on the label.
Three points are worth stating clearly:
- Applicants include producers, importers and sellers, not only factories, so a brand that contracts out production can apply.
- Inspection and certification are done by the Institute of Nutrition or an assigned agency. It is not part of the application for a Thai FDA food serial number.
- The Subcommittee notice states that the criteria, conditions and methods of certification are those set by the certifying body.
Our archive does not hold the certifying body's application guide, such as the application form, document list or how long a certification lasts, so we do not guess those details. Ask the certifying body directly for its current requirements before you start.
Which foods qualify: the 15 food groups in the current criteria
The nutrient criteria are not one set of numbers for every food; they are set per food group. The Subcommittee's criteria notice of 13 July 2021 set 13 groups, criteria No. 2 of 16 December 2022 added group 14, meat and poultry products, and criteria No. 3 of 27 December 2024 added group 15, alternative milk products. The 15 groups are main meals, beverages, seasonings, dairy products, instant food, snacks, ice cream, fats and oils, bread, breakfast cereals, bakery products, small meals, fish and other aquatic products, meat and poultry products, and alternative milk products.
The criteria notice notes that each group's scope is not limited to the food types defined in MOPH notifications; it depends on the nature of the product. A product without a specific Thai food standard may still fit a group, while a product that fits no group has no criteria to be assessed against.
The method also differs by group. Main meals use a scoring system across several nutrients per 100 kilocalories, covering nutrients to encourage, such as protein, calcium, iron and dietary fibre, and nutrients to limit, such as fat. Beverages and seasonings use ceilings per 100 millilitres. So the first step is to decide which group your product belongs to and read that group's list in full.
Criteria No. 3 replaced the beverage and seasoning criteria and added criteria for soup cubes, concentrates, powders and dry mixes for clear soup within the instant food group. If you compared your product with older documents, compare it again with this notice.
Nutrient criteria: the beverage group as an example
Beverages are the group brands ask about most. Under the revised List No. 2 of criteria No. 3, values are calculated per 100 millilitres. Some examples:
- 100% vegetable or fruit juice: total sugar at most 12 g per 100 ml and at most 18 g per package, sodium at most 100 mg, and dietary fibre at least 0.75 g per 100 ml.
- Vegetable and fruit drinks, carbonated drinks and flavoured sweet drinks: total sugar at most 5 g per 100 ml, sodium at most 40 mg (at most 100 mg only for drinks with at least 90% coconut water), and energy at most 40 kcal, with lower energy ceilings when the formula uses sweeteners instead of sugar.
- Cereal drinks and soy milk: total sugar at most 5 g, total fat at most 3.5 g, saturated fat at most 1 g, and sodium at most 40 mg per 100 ml.
- Ready-to-drink coffee: total sugar at most 5 g, total fat at most 1 g, sodium at most 100 mg and energy at most 60 kcal per 100 ml.
Several types add a per-pack condition, for example total sugar of at most 15 g per pack for drinks whose serving is more than 150 percent of the reference serving and whose pack is no larger than 500 ml. Read every condition in the list before concluding that a formula meets the criteria.
Criteria No. 3 requires previously certified producers to adjust their formulas to the new criteria, and allows food certified under the old criteria to be sold for up to 24 months from the date the notice took effect. These figures are criteria for certification; the decision belongs to the certifying body, not to the producer.
Source: Simplified Nutrition Symbol Subcommittee, nutrient criteria No. 3, 27 Dec 2024, List No. 2 · some types add per-pack conditions
Healthier Choice label design: the required symbol format
The format is set by the Subcommittee notice of 6 November 2018, with clause 3.3 replaced by the supplementary notice of 5 August 2019. In summary:
- Language: the text must be in Thai, with the certified food group named where the template says “food group”.
- Text under the frame: the Thai statement meaning “sugar, fat, sodium passed criteria” must appear under the symbol frame, in letters no smaller than the words “Healthier Choice” in Thai, underlined with a line as thick as the frame.
- English: may be added, in capital letters only, naming the certified food group, and with “Sugar, Fat, Sodium Passed Criteria” under the frame as well.
- Colour: on a white background, either in the set colours (a circle with a light blue rim, two green leaves, a small solid green circle and an orange arc, with light blue text) or in a single colour, black or dark blue.
- Position and size: on the front of the label where it is easy to see and read, at least 1.5 cm in diameter, or at least 1 cm if the front label area is under 65 square centimetres.
- Separation: clearly separated from other text, so that no other text looks like part of the symbol.
The symbol artwork and the two English layouts are in the Subcommittee notices. Use artwork from the certifying body rather than redrawing it, because proportions and colours must match the template.
1
2
3
- Thai symbolFront of label, at least 1.5 cm across (1 cm if the front is under 65 sq cm)
- Certified food groupReplaces the words food group in the template; here, beverages
- Text under the frameSugar, fat, sodium passed criteria; no smaller than the symbol title, underlined
Set colours on white, or single-colour black or dark blue · use artwork from the certifying body
Source: Subcommittee notices of 6 Nov 2018 and 5 Aug 2019
The logo does not replace mandatory labelling
Clause 5 of Notification No. 373 and clause 4 of the Subcommittee notice say the same thing: a label showing the symbol must also follow the notification on labelling of prepackaged food, any notification specific to that food, and the nutrition labelling notification.
Today the prepackaged food labelling rule is Notification No. 450 of 2024 as amended by No. 474 of 2026, and the nutrition labelling rule is Notification No. 445 of 2023. The Thai FDA explanatory notice of 2016 still refers to older notifications (No. 367 and No. 182) because it predates the current set, so read older documents with the current notifications in mind.
In practice, the symbol is an addition to the label; it removes no mandatory item. The label still needs the food name, food serial number, ingredients, allergen information, expiry date and every other required item. If the product must carry a nutrition facts panel or a front-of-pack GDA label, those rules apply as well; see how to read a Thai nutrition label and the Thai GDA label.
Watch the front-of-pack design too. The Subcommittee notice requires the symbol to be clearly separate from other text. Placing a marketing line tight against the circle so that it reads as one message may conflict with that condition. Run a first check of your artwork with the label check tool.
When you must stop using the logo
The Thai FDA explanatory notice on Notification No. 373 is clear about when the symbol must come off. If the product no longer meets the criteria, its certification is cancelled, or the certification is not renewed, the symbol must stop being displayed immediately. Showing the symbol without certification falls in the same category. The explanatory notice treats these cases as adulterated food under the Food Act, which carries heavy penalties.
Situations brands often meet in practice:
- Formula changes, such as more sugar or a new ingredient, can push nutrient values outside the criteria. Check with the certifying body before printing new labels.
- Criteria changes, such as criteria No. 3 of 2024 for beverages and seasonings, require previously certified producers to reformulate, while food certified earlier may be sold for up to 24 months from the effective date.
- Label stock: if certification ends, labels already printed with the symbol cannot be used. Plan print runs around the certification period.
- Multiple sales channels: product images in online shops and sales materials should match the actual label. If the symbol comes off the label, update images everywhere.
Our archive does not state how long a certification lasts or how renewal works. Follow the certifying body's rules on those points.
Preparing to apply for the Healthier Choice logo
If you are considering the symbol for a product, this order of work avoids most rework:
- Classify the product: find which of the 15 groups it belongs to and open that group's criteria in the latest notice.
- Compare nutrient values: use laboratory results for the real formula and compare them with every criterion, including per-pack conditions.
- Reformulate if needed, for example by reducing sugar or sodium, then test again.
- Contact the certifying body, the Institute of Nutrition, Mahidol University, or an assigned agency, for its current criteria and application method.
- Design the label: place the symbol on the front with the right size, colours and text under the frame, without dropping any mandatory item.
- Maintain certification: recheck the formula whenever an ingredient changes and follow new criteria notices.
Our team can plan nutrient analysis through testing and laboratory services and check the full label against current rules through contact. Certification of the symbol remains the decision of the certifying body.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Healthier Choice logo mandatory in Thailand?
No. Notification No. 373 applies to those who wish to display the symbol, but once displayed it must be certified first and must follow the format and criteria.
Who certifies the Healthier Choice logo?
Under Notification No. 453, the Institute of Nutrition, Mahidol University, or another agency assigned by the strategy committee under the National Food Committee.
Can a brand that uses a contract manufacturer apply?
Yes. Notification No. 453 allows producers for sale, importers for sale and sellers of food to request inspection and certification.
What sugar level must a drink meet?
It depends on the type. Fruit drinks, carbonated drinks and flavoured sweet drinks must have at most 5 g of total sugar per 100 ml under criteria No. 3 of 2024, and must also meet sodium, energy and per-pack conditions.
Can I show only an English version of the logo?
No. The Thai version is required. English may be added in capitals, with “Sugar, Fat, Sodium Passed Criteria” under the frame alongside the Thai statement.
Sources
- MOPH Notification No. 373 B.E. 2559 (2016) on the display of nutrition symbols on food labels · Open source · Search our archive
- MOPH Notification No. 453 B.E. 2567 (2024) on the display of nutrition symbols on food labels (No. 2) · Open source · Search our archive
- Thai FDA explanatory notice on MOPH Notification No. 373 (2016) · Open source · Search our archive
- Simplified Nutrition Symbol Subcommittee notice on criteria, methods and conditions for the Healthier Choice symbol (Nov 2018) · Open source · Search our archive
- Subcommittee notice amending the Healthier Choice symbol format (5 Aug 2019) · Open source · Search our archive
- Subcommittee notice on nutrient criteria for the Healthier Choice symbol by food group (Jul 2021) · Open source · Search our archive
- Subcommittee notice on Healthier Choice nutrient criteria (No. 2), meat and poultry products (Dec 2022) · Open source · Search our archive
- Subcommittee notice on Healthier Choice nutrient criteria (No. 3), beverages, seasonings, soups and alternative milk (Dec 2024) · Open source · Search our archive
- MOPH Notification No. 450 B.E. 2567 (2024) on labelling of prepackaged food · Open source · Search our archive
- MOPH Notification No. 474 B.E. 2569 (2026) on labelling of prepackaged food (No. 2) · Open source · Search our archive
- MOPH Notification No. 445 B.E. 2566 (2023) on nutrition labelling · Open source · Search our archive
This article is for general information. It is not a Thai FDA ruling or legal advice, and rules change — check the latest notification or ask an expert before filing or producing.
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