Foods With Sugar Reduced Using Sweeteners Cannot Carry "Contains Ingredient That Helps Suppress Post-Meal Blood Glucose Spikes" Label

Effective January 1, 2028

Starting next year, carbonated drinks and other products with reduced sugar content by using sweeteners instead of sugar will no longer be allowed to carry a label stating that they contain a functional ingredient that helps suppress post-meal blood glucose spikes.

Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province. The Asia Business Daily database.

On October 26, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said it had revised the “Regulations on Functional Labeling or Advertising of Foods Not Deemed Unfair Labeling or Advertising” on October 23. The revised regulations will take effect on January 1, 2028.

Currently, products that meet the low-sugar criteria can be labeled as containing “an ingredient that may help suppress post-meal blood glucose spikes,” regardless of whether sweeteners are used. The low-sugar criteria are less than 5 g of sugars per 100 g of food or less than 2.5 g per 100 mL. Going forward, this labeling will be allowed only for products that meet the low-sugar criteria without using sweeteners. For example, even if a product contains indigestible maltodextrin, a functional ingredient that helps suppress post-meal blood glucose spikes, it cannot carry the label if its sugar content was reduced using sweeteners.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety decided to revise the criteria as more consumers seek low-sugar foods containing sweeteners amid growing interest in health and weight management. Concerns have been raised that consumers may mistake low-sugar carbonated drinks bearing a blood glucose-related functional claim for products that help manage blood glucose after meals.

However, the revision does not restrict the use of sweeteners or the sale of low-sugar foods. Its purpose is to help prevent consumers from confusing a product’s characteristics by having the nutritional claim “low in sugars” appear alongside a “blood glucose-related functional” claim.

An official from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said, “We expect this improvement to help consumers accurately understand product characteristics and make informed choices. We will continue to improve food labeling that could cause misunderstanding or confusion and enhance confidence in the labeling system.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.