FDA Thailand Full vs short Thai nutrition labels: what changed under Notification No. 445 and which format your product needs
Full vs short: what the two Thai nutrition label formats were
A Thai nutrition label is the panel that shows energy and nutrient content per serving. The terms "full format" and "short format" come from Ministry of Public Health Notification No. 182 B.E. 2541 (1998), which governed nutrition labelling for more than 25 years. The full format lists every nutrient the notification requires. The short format shows only the core items: total energy, total fat, protein, total carbohydrate, sugar and sodium, plus cholesterol when it is 2 mg or more per serving.
The rules have now changed. Ministry of Public Health Notification No. 445 B.E. 2566 (2023) on nutrition labelling took effect on 2 July 2024 and introduced a new set of nutrition panel formats in its Schedule 1, replacing the old full/short split. Notification No. 446 (2023) also amended the GDA rules so that foods required to show GDA use the No. 445 formats instead of the old full or short panel.
This guide covers both systems, because products with old-format labels are still on shelves during the transition, and anyone launching a new product in Thailand must follow the new one.
Foods requiring nutrition labelling in Thailand
Not every food needs a nutrition label. Clause 3 of Notification No. 445 lists four groups that must carry one:
- foods with a nutrition claim, such as high protein, low sugar or no added sugar;
- foods with a health claim;
- foods that use nutritional value in their marketing;
- other foods specified by the Minister, such as the 13 food groups that must show GDA under Notification No. 394.
A frequent mistake involves product names that mention a nutrient. The Thai FDA Food Division's Q&A on No. 445 says that a food which states the type or amount of a nutrient, even in its product name, is making a nutrition claim and must carry a nutrition label. A name containing "calcium" or "fibre" is a typical example.
Foods outside the scope
Clause 7 exempts infant and young-child formulas, medical foods, special-purpose foods that have their own labelling notification, foods not sold directly to consumers or cooked and sold by the maker, and individual packs sold inside a larger pack. A food outside the scope that chooses to show nutrition information must still use the prescribed formats.
The full nutrition label and short nutrition label under the old rules
Under No. 182, the choice depended on whether the product made claims. Notification No. 394 on GDA states the rule plainly: if a product makes a nutrition claim, uses nutritional value in marketing or targets a specific consumer group, it must use the full format.
| Item | Full format (No. 182) | Short format (No. 182) |
|---|---|---|
| Nutrients shown | All nutrients required, including vitamins and minerals | Energy, fat, protein, carbohydrate, sugar, sodium (and cholesterol if 2 mg or more per serving) |
| When used | Claims, marketing on nutritional value, or a named consumer group | No claims and no named consumer group |
Notification No. 392 (2018) set the Thai RDI for sodium at 2,000 mg per day and required the full panel to show the sodium guide as "less than 2,000 mg". That value carries into the new system.
New formats under No. 445: a Thai nutrition facts panel example for each case
The Food Division published a reference document with 12 nutrition panel formats under No. 445, so manufacturers can choose by product type and label space. The most common are:
- Standard format for most products;
- Horizontal format for labels with limited vertical space;
- Linear (running-text) format for labels smaller than 80 square centimetres;
- Format with vitamins and minerals;
- Dual format, for example cereal eaten with milk;
- Per-100 g format for foods without a reference serving size, or raw materials;
- Single-serving format for foods eaten in one go, which does not show servings per container.
Percentages of daily value are based on 2,000 kcal per day. Where daily values are shown, the references are total fat less than 65 g, saturated fat less than 20 g, cholesterol less than 300 mg, total carbohydrate 300 g and sodium less than 2,000 mg. Energy conversion factors are 9 kcal/g for fat and 4 kcal/g for protein and carbohydrate.
English may appear in three ways: Thai and English in one panel, separate panels, or English beneath the Thai, but Thai is always required. According to the Food Division Q&A, labels that follow the standard formats can be produced without prior approval; any other format needs Thai FDA approval first.
How to make a Thai nutrition label: where the numbers must come from
The biggest cost and time item is the source of the numbers. The Food Division Q&A on No. 445 sets these principles:
- Energy and nutrient values must come from laboratory analysis of the finished product, by a government laboratory or one accredited to ISO/IEC 17025. Calculation from the recipe is not accepted.
- Imported foods cannot copy the values from the foreign label, but may use the product's analysis report.
- No expiry is set for analysis reports. Products that differ only in flavour may share results; a different recipe requires new analysis.
- Potassium must not be shown as zero without analysis.
- Vitamins and minerals (other than sodium and potassium) below 5% of the daily recommendation may not be shown in the panel.
Nutrition claims
A claim such as "reduced" or "enriched" must meet the criteria on both bases: per serving as labelled and per reference serving. "Reduced" requires at least a 25% reduction; "increased" or "enriched" requires at least 10% of the Thai RDIs more. Claims may not appear in English only.
If you need nutrition analysis, see our testing and analysis service.
No. 467: panel background and minimum font sizes
Notification No. 467 B.E. 2568 (2025), nutrition labelling (No. 2), applies from 12 December 2025 and changes design details that packaging designers must follow:
- The nutrition panel background must be white only, except large outer packs holding several units that cannot be printed white, such as corrugated cartons, which may use a single colour.
- Text must be the same colour as the panel border and clearly legible.
- The heading "Nutrition information" and the energy value must be bold and at least 1.5 mm high.
- Total fat, cholesterol, protein, carbohydrate, sodium and potassium must be bold and at least 1 mm high.
The white-background rule directly affects designs that place the panel on a coloured pack. Those panels need a white fill inside the frame.
Transition: how long old labels remain valid
The Food Division Q&A on No. 445 sets out the transition:
| Case | Label to use |
|---|---|
| Food serial number issued before 2 July 2024 | No. 182 label may continue until 1 July 2027 at the latest |
| Food serial number issued on or after 2 July 2024 | No. 445 formats are mandatory |
In practice, brands with existing products should schedule a reprint before mid-2027 and include the No. 467 design rules in the same run, so the label only changes once.
Pre-print checklist
- Does the product need a nutrition label, including because its name mentions a nutrient?
- Does it also need GDA (the 13 food groups under No. 394)? Read GDA labels in Thailand.
- Choose a format that fits the label area; under 80 cm², the linear format is allowed.
- Values come from accredited analysis of the finished product, not calculation.
- White panel background, text in the border colour, font sizes per No. 467.
- Claims meet the criteria on both bases and appear in Thai.
Run the full label through the label checker. For an expert review of product category, formula and label before printing, contact our team about our category, formula and label review.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still use the short nutrition label?
Only for foods whose serial number was issued before 2 July 2024, and only until 1 July 2027. Foods numbered on or after 2 July 2024 must use the No. 445 formats.
Can nutrition values be calculated from the recipe?
No. The Food Division Q&A requires values from analysis of the finished product by a government laboratory or one accredited to ISO/IEC 17025.
Can an imported food use the numbers from its foreign label?
No, but it may use the analysis report for that product.
Can the nutrition panel have a coloured background?
Since No. 467 took effect on 12 December 2025, the background must be white, except large outer packs that cannot be printed white, such as corrugated cartons.
Do I need Thai FDA approval for my nutrition panel?
Not if you follow a standard format in Schedule 1. A format outside those prescribed needs Thai FDA approval first.
Sources
- MOPH Notification No. 445 B.E. 2566 (2023) on nutrition labelling · Open source · Search our archive
- MOPH Notification No. 467 B.E. 2568 (2025) on nutrition labelling (No. 2) · Open source · Search our archive
- Example nutrition panel formats under No. 445 (Food Division) · Open source · Search our archive
- Q&A on Notification No. 445 (Food Division) · Open source · Search our archive
- MOPH Notification No. 446 B.E. 2566 (2023), amending the GDA notification · Open source · Search our archive
- MOPH Notification No. 394 (2018) on foods requiring nutrition and GDA labelling · Open source · Search our archive
- Explanatory note on Notification No. 392 (2018), nutrition labelling (No. 3) · 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.