Following P.U. (A) 209 — Food (Amendment) (No. 4) Regulations 2020, food manufacturers are required to update their nutritional labelling according to Malaysia Food Regulations 1985.
Under Regulation 18B, Subregulations 3(a) to 3(c), the following are required:
• Energy (kcal or kJ)
• Available Carbohydrate (excluding Dietary Fibre)
• Protein
• Total Sugars
• Fat
• Sodium
One important point often overlooked is Regulation 18B, Subregulation 6, which specifies the calculation and conversion factors for Energy declaration. Allied Chemists Laboratory is accredited for this particular Energy calculation.
Another common issue is “Available Carbohydrate” reporting. Some laboratories may exclude Dietary Fibre analysis and offer lower pricing, resulting in incomplete or non-compliant declarations.
For fatty acid claims under Regulation 18B, Subregulation 5, the following must all be declared together:
• Saturated Fatty Acids
• Monounsaturated Fatty Acids
• Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids
• Trans Fatty Acids
Selective declaration is not permitted. Either all fatty acid types must be declared together, or no fatty acid declaration should be made.
Do not choose a laboratory based on price alone. Always verify the laboratory’s accreditation scope and regulatory compliance.
For any enquiries, feel free to reach out to us:
Johor Bahru (Head Office) – aclsb@alliedchemists.com.my
Central Malaysia Branch – cmb@alliedchemists.com.my
Northern Malaysia Branch – enquiry@alliedchemists.asia
Perfect Laboratory – jwong@ebsperfectlab.com
