Nutri-Grade Labelling
Nutri-Grade is the mandatory Singapore nutrition label for drinks, grading beverages A to D by sugar and saturated fat content and banning advertising of the least healthy grade.
Plain English
Patient-Friendly Explanation
Nutri-Grade is a mandatory label applied to drinks sold in Singapore. It grades a beverage from A, in green, for the lowest sugar and saturated fat content, down to D, in red, for the highest. It has applied to prepackaged drinks since December 2022 and, since December 2023, also to freshly prepared drinks such as bubble tea, freshly squeezed juices, freshly brewed coffee and tea, and smoothies sold in food and beverage outlets, hotels, workplaces, schools and healthcare settings. Drinks graded C or D must display the mark on packaging and menus, and advertising drinks graded D is prohibited. Toppings such as pearls and jellies carry their own sugar declarations. For patients, the mark is a fast way to compare drinks: a grade B drink contains at most 5 grams of sugar per 100 millilitres. It covers drinks rather than food, and portion size still counts, but it removes much of the guesswork from one of the largest sources of added sugar in the Singapore diet.
Medical
Clinical Definition
Nutri-Grade is a mandatory front-of-pack and point-of-sale nutrition labelling scheme introduced by the Ministry of Health and Health Promotion Board of Singapore, with advertising prohibitions for the least healthy grade. Grading is determined by the poorer of two components measured per 100 millilitres: free sugar, with grade A at 1 gram or less, B above 1 up to 5 grams, C above 5 up to 10 grams and D above 10 grams; and saturated fat, with grade A at 0.7 grams or less, B above 0.7 up to 1.2 grams, C above 1.2 up to 2.8 grams and D above 2.8 grams. Requirements for prepackaged beverages and non-customisable beverages dispensed from automated dispensers took effect on 30 December 2022, and were extended from 30 December 2023 to freshly prepared beverages and to customisable automated dispensers in specified retail and non-retail settings; alcoholic beverages and special purpose foods are excluded. Grade C and D beverages must be labelled, while labelling of grade A and B beverages is optional, and advertisements promoting the sale of grade D beverages are prohibited. Toppings such as pearls, jellies, ice cream and whipped cream must carry sugar declaration marks, and industry guidance encourages lower sugar defaults, exemplified by the Siu Dai by Default movement in the bubble tea sector. From mid-2027 the Ministry of Health intends to extend Nutri-Grade requirements and advertising prohibitions to key contributors of sodium and saturated fat intake, covering 23 sub-categories of prepacked salt, sauces, seasonings, instant noodles and cooking oils. The rationale is that sugar-sweetened beverages are a leading source of added sugar and are associated with weight gain, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease and dental caries, and the scheme complements the Healthier Choice Symbol and healthier catering guidelines, which require catering beverages to meet grade A or B thresholds of 5 grams or less of free sugar and 1.2 grams or less of saturated fat per 100 millilitres. Evidence on front-of-pack labelling indicates that clear, interpretive labels shift purchasing towards healthier options and can drive reformulation by industry, while the effect on hard outcomes such as body weight remains less certain. Limitations include beverage-only coverage, thresholds expressed per 100 millilitres so that serving size still determines total sugar, the possibility of substitution towards non-sugar sweeteners, and the fact that lower-grade drinks remain permissible. In clinical practice the mark is a counselling tool: patients can be shown how to read it, encouraged to choose grade A or B where possible, to request less sugar or less sweetener, and to apply the same scrutiny to fruit juices and sweetened coffee and tea, which are frequently graded C or D despite a healthy perception.
Key Insight
Why It Matters
Telling a patient that freshly squeezed juice can be graded C or D lands better than a lecture about sugar, and the mark is now on the menu in front of them. It turns a vague instruction into a two-second decision at the counter.
Sources
Reviewed against standard medical references.
Medically reviewed by
Family Physician & Registered Acupuncturist, Accord Medical Clinic. MBBS (NUS), Graduate Diploma in Family Medicine (NUS), Graduate Diploma in Acupuncture (Singapore College of TCM).
Last reviewed: September 2026
This page is general health education, not medical advice. Whether any treatment is appropriate for you is a decision made in consultation after assessment.
