Notification of the Ministry Notification of the Ministry of Public Health (No. 237) B.E. 2544 (2001) Re: Labelling of Ready-to-Cook Foods and Ready-to-Eat Foods

(Unofficial) Notification of the Ministry of Public Health (No. 237) B.E. 2544 (2001) Re: Labelling of Ready-to-Cook Foods and Ready-to-Eat Foods. It deems appropriate to amend the notification of the Ministry of Public Health, Re: Labelling of Ready-to-Cook Foods; and Re: Labelling of Ready-to-Eat Foods. By the virtue of provisions of Section 5 and 6(10) of the Food Act B.E. 2522 (1979), in which contain provisions in relation to the restriction of Rights and Liberties of the Persons, in respect of which Section 29 and in conjunction with Section 35, Section 48 and Section 50 of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand so permit by virtue of provisions of law; the Minister of Public Health hereby issues the notification as follows: Clause 1. The notification of the Ministry of Public Health (No. 175) B.E. 2539 (1996), Re: Labelling of Ready-to-Cook Foods and Ready-to-Eat Foods, dated on 6th November B.E. 2539 (1996), shall be repealed. Clause 2. Ready-to-Cook Foods and Ready-to-Eat Foods are prescribed food to have labels. Clause 3. In this notification: (1) Ready-to-Cook Foods mean foods in which various ingredients are prepared in unit container which are sold directly to consumers for cooking of each specific food. (2) Ready-to-Eat Foods mean ready for sale cooked foods, ready for consumption, packed in containers. Clause 4. Labels of Ready-to-Cook Foods and Ready-to-Eat Foods shall follow to the notification of the Ministry of Public Health, Re: Labels, except Clause 3 of the notification of the Ministry of Public Health (No. 194) B.E. 2543 (2000), Re: Labels, dated 19th September B.E. 2543 (2000) shall follow to Clause 5 of this notification. Clause 5. Labels of Ready-to-Cook Foods and Ready-to-Eat Foods for sale to consumers shall be expressed in Thai language texts but foreign language texts may also be presented and shall have texts to declare as follows: (1) Names of prescribed foods by one of the following: (1.1) Specific names of foods, common names, or generally names, or names of the cooked foods for Ready-to-Cook Foods. © 2003 FDA, MOPH. (1.2) Trade names, for these names shall also be used with texts expressing names as stipulated in (1.1) with their trade names, which may either be expressed in the same line or not, and the sizes of alphabets and trade names may be differ but shall be easily seen. (2) Food serial number. (3) Names and addresses of producers or re-packers or distributors; or names and addresses of head offices of producers or re-packers for sale or distributors, as the case may be. For imported Ready-to-Cook Foods or Ready-to-Eat foods, names and addresses of importers and country of importers shall be expressed. (4) Ready-to-Eat Foods shall be expressed in metric system. (5) Main ingredients of Ready-to-Eat Foods shall be expressed in percentage of approximated weight and in descending order. (6) Declaration of “Utilize preservatives”, if any. (7) Declarations of “Utilize natural colouring”, “Utilize artificial colouring”, as the case may be, if used. (8) Declaration of “Utilize........as food enhancers” (the blank is for names of food enhancers used). (9) Declaration of “Utilize ........as artificial sweetener, if use (the blank is for names of artificial sweetener used) shall be expressed by alphabets of not smaller than 2 milimeter height and colour the text shall be highly contrast with the background”. (10) Declarations of “Natural flavoured”, “Identical artificial flavour”, or “Artificial flavour”, or “Natural taste”, or “Identical artificial”, as the case may be. (11) Date, month, and year of expiration for consumption; or date, month, and year of food which is in good qualities or standards and shall be accompanied by declarations of “Expiration”, or “Consume before”, as the case may be, and date, month, and year shall respectively be declared. In case where month is declared, such month may be alphabetically declared for Ready-to-Cook Foods. (12) Date, month and year of manufacture shall be accompanied by declarations of “produce”; and date, month, and year of expiration, or date, month, and year of food which is in good qualities or standards and shall be accompanied by declarations of “Expire”, or “Consume before”, as the case may be; and date, month, and year shall respectively be declared. In case where month is declared, such month may be alphabetically declared for Ready-to-Eat Foods. (13) Instruction for food storage. (If any). © 2003 FDA, MOPH. Clause 6. This notification is not enforced to: (1) Ready-to-Eat Foods in which producers sell directly to consumers. (2) Specific controlled foods are prescribed foods to have qualities or standards, or foods in which the Minister of Public Health prescribed to bare labels, which are Ready-to-Cook or Ready-to-Eat Foods. Clause 7. Evidences of foods declaration and declaration number, which are acknowledged and issued prior to this notification, shall be valid for 2 years as from the come into force date of this notification. Clause 8. Producers of Ready-to-Cook Foods and Ready-to-Eat Foods, whose permits of food declaration number issued prior to this notification, shall apply for food serial number within one year as from the come into force date of this notification. After applying for food serial number, the remaining labels are allowed to be used until last but not exceeding to 2 years after this notification come into force. Clause 9. This notification shall come into force as from the day following date of its publication in the Government Gazette. Notified on 20th August 2001. Signed Sudarat Keyurabhun (Mrs. Sudarat Keyurabhun) Minister of Public Health (Published in the Government Gazette Vol. 118, Special Part 82 Ngor, dated 22nd August 2001) Note: This English version of the notification is translated to meet the need of the non-Thai speaking people. In case of any discrepancy between the Thai original and the English translation, the former will take priority. © 2003 FDA, MOPH.