The label compliance checklist for food and supplement brands selling across ANZ and SEA

Label compliance failures are the most common and most avoidable source of delay in getting a product to market. They happen late in the process, after formulation, dossier, and registration work is complete, and they reset timelines at the worst possible moment. This checklist covers mandatory label requirements for Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Use it at the artwork stage, not after.

Australia (FSANZ / TGA)

For food products (FSANZ Standard 1.2): product name, ingredient list in descending order of ingoing weight, allergen declarations (mandatory for the 11 major allergens under Standard 1.2.3), Nutrition Information Panel (NIP) in FSANZ-prescribed format, net weight or volume, country of origin statement (compliant with Australian Consumer Law), name and address of supplier (Australian address required for imported products), date mark, directions for use or storage where necessary, and any required warning or advisory statements.

For health supplements (TGA): AUST L/R number on label before sale commences, active ingredients with quantities per dosage form, excipients list, directions for use, warnings and contraindications required by TGA for specific ingredients, name and address of Australian sponsor, and shelf life or expiry.

Common failures: NIP format not matching FSANZ specification, country of origin statement not compliant with the 'grown in/made in/produced in' distinction, claim on label not matching registered indication, warning statement required for specific ingredient omitted.

New Zealand (FSANZ and MPI)

NZ uses the same Food Standards Code as Australia for most requirements, but with NZ-specific additions: all FSANZ requirements above apply, country of origin requirements differ slightly (NZ uses its own Fair Trading Act requirements), MPI import documentation is required for certain product categories, and some NZ-specific warning statements differ from Australian versions.

Common failures: using Australian-specific country of origin statement format without NZ adaptation, missing NZ-specific advisory statements.

Singapore (HSA / SFA)

For health supplements (HSA): product name, complete ingredient list, net content, directions for use, advisory statement ('This is not a medicinal product'), name and address of Singapore importer or local distributor, country of manufacture, expiry date, storage conditions, and no therapeutic or medicinal claims.

For food products (SFA): product name, ingredient list (descending order), allergen declarations, nutrition information panel, net weight or volume, name and address of importer, country of origin, and date mark.

Common failures: therapeutic claim present on a label classified as health supplement, missing 'not a medicinal product' advisory statement, local importer details absent or incorrect.

Indonesia (BPOM)

Required: product name, ingredient list in Bahasa Indonesia, net weight or volume, nutrition information in BPOM format, directions for use in Bahasa Indonesia, manufacturer name and address, local distributor name and address (Indonesian entity), country of manufacture, BPOM ML/MD registration number, halal logo (if MUI certified), expiry date in Indonesian format, storage conditions, and mandatory warnings for specific ingredient categories.

Common failures: label not in Bahasa Indonesia, BPOM registration number absent (product cannot be sold without it), nutrition information not in BPOM-prescribed format, halal logo absent where product is certified.

Malaysia (NPRA / MOH)

Required: product name in English and Bahasa Malaysia, ingredient list in both languages, net weight or volume, directions for use in both languages, MAL registration number, name and address of Malaysian product licence holder, country of manufacture, manufacturing date and expiry date, storage conditions, JAKIM halal logo (if certified), and any required warnings in both languages.

Common failures: label in English only (bilingual is mandatory), MAL number absent, halal logo absent where product is certified, warnings in one language only.

The cross-market labelling trap

Brands often try to create a single label that works across markets. This is almost never possible without compromise. A label designed for Australia will be missing Bahasa Indonesia text for BPOM. A label designed for Malaysia may not have the FSANZ NIP format required for Australia. The practical approach: design a base label architecture that accommodates the most complex market's requirements, then adapt for each market as a separate artwork version. The adaptation is cheaper than a rejection.

Taama reviews label and packaging compliance across ANZ, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and 14 other markets, flagging issues at artwork stage, not after submission. See what we cover