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WOG Healthier Food and Beverage Policy

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Singaporeans are consuming too much sugar, mostly from sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). The Whole-of-Government (WOG) Healthier Food and Beverage Policy was introduced in November 2017 to make healthier, lower-sugar drinks the default at government premises. This fosters a supportive environment for Singaporeans to adopt a healthier diet. To advance the efforts to promote healthier diets, the policy has been enhanced with the introduction of further guidelines on sugar and saturated fat in beverages, and the use of healthier ingredients in cooking and food preparations.

What is the WOG Healthier Food and Beverage Policy?

Under the WOG Healthier Food and Beverage Policy, previously known as WOG Healthier Drinks Policy, all drinks and food sold or provided at government premises must comply with the policy requirements to provide healthier beverages, as well as the use of healthier ingredients for all cooking and food preparation. To ensure a level playing field, this policy covers all settings including vending machines, retail stores, food and beverage (F&B) outlets, meeting rooms and drinks procured by agencies for staff pantries, and applies to both current and prospective contracts and leases.


What are the policy requirements?

Please refer to the below for the different requirements.
Healthier beverages
  • 1.1 
    [New guideline] By 1 June 2024, all pre-packaged beverages[1] must meet the nutrient thresholds for Grades A or B under the Nutri-Grade grading system, which are: ≤5 grams of free sugar and ≤1.2 grams of saturated fat per 100 ml of beverage.
    • Operators may, however, continue to provide plain full-cream milk

  • 1.2  
    Pre-packaged beverages include the following:
    1. Ready-to-consume beverages that are packed or made up in advance to be ready for sale and/or consumption in packages such as bottles, cans, cartons, packets or other similar containers; and
    2. Powders or concentrates that are meant to be reconstituted or diluted with fluids before consumption as a beverage (e.g. 3-in-1 or 2-in-1 coffee and tea products, fruit juice cordials). [Note: The resultant beverage after dilution is not considered pre-packaged, but freshly prepared].

    For the purpose of the WOG Healthier Food and Beverage policy, beverages that are dispensed from machines that dispense beverages according to a pre-fixed formula, with no option for a prospective consumer to customise the amount of any ingredient in the beverage (e.g. fountain drinks, beverage dispensed from automated coffee machines), are also subject to the same guidelines as pre-packaged beverages.

    Products that are not Nutri-Grade beverages are not within scope of the Healthier Food and Beverage policy. Please see https://www.hpb.gov.sg/healthy-living/food-beverage/nutri-grade for more information on the definition of Nutri-Grade beverage.

  • 1.3  
    Freshly prepared beverages include the following:
    1. Beverages prepared by hand at the place or premises where they are sold, or at any place or premises before they are sold online, or
    2. Beverages for which a prospective consumer may customise the amount of at least one ingredient in the beverage.

    This includes bubble tea, freshly prepared herbal drinks, freshly brewed coffee or tea, freshly squeezed juices, freshly blended smoothies, and non-pre-packaged beverages dispensed from machines, with the option to customise the amount of at least one ingredient in the beverage (e.g. coffee machines in office pantries or hospitals, that allow choice of sugar level or creamers).

Products that are not Nutri-Grade beverages are not within scope of the Healthier Food and Beverage policy. Please see https://www.hpb.gov.sg/healthy-living/food-beverage/nutri-grade for more information on the definition of Nutri-Grade beverage.

  • 2.  
    Hot coffee, tea and malted beverages must be prepared and served with no added sugar[2] (i.e. ‘ko-song’).
    • Sugar may be provided at the side for consumers to take/ add on their own.
    • Operators may continue to add creamer, evaporated milk and condensed milk, but the final beverage served must comply with requirement 4.

  • 3.  
    [New guideline] By 1 June 2024, creamers, evaporated milk and condensed milk served on the side must be lower in saturated fat.[3]
  • 4.  
    [New guideline] By 1 June 2024, all freshly prepared beverages[4] must meet the nutrient thresholds for Grades A or B under the Nutri-Grade grading system, which are: ≤5 grams of free sugar and ≤1.2 grams of saturated fat per 100 ml of beverage.
[1] See paragraph 1.2
[2] ‘Sugar’ here refers to table sugar, and excludes the sugar content in creamers, evaporated milk and condensed milk.
[3] Lower saturated fat creamers, evaporated milk and condensed milk include those that carry the Healthier Choice Symbol (HCS), and those that meet the saturated fat criteria under the HCS (i.e., ≤4g/100g of fat, as of Nov 2023. Please refer to the HCS website for the most updated guidelines).
[4] See paragraph 1.3
Healthier ingredients (healthier oils, lower-sodium ingredients)
  • 1.  
    [New guideline] By 1 June 2024, operators must use healthier cooking oils[5] for all cooking and food preparation.

  • 2.  
    [New guideline] By 1 June 2024, when salt, sauces and seasonings are used or provided, they must be lower in sodium.[6]
    • If salt is not used for cooking and food preparation, the sauces and seasonings used must be lower in sodium (i.e. lower-sodium light and dark soy sauces, oyster sauce and seasonings).
[5] Healthier oils include oils that carry the HCS and other plant-based oils (e.g. olive, canola, peanut, soybean and sunflower oil) that meet the saturated fat criteria under the HCS (i.e. ≤35g/100g of saturated fat, as of July 2023. Please refer to the HCS website for the most updated guidelines).
[6] Lower-sodium salt include those that carry the HCS, and those that meet the sodium criteria under the HCS (i.e., ≤300mg/g of sodium, as of Nov 2023). Lower-sodium soy sauce, oyster sauce and seasoning include those that carry the HCS, and those that meet the sodium criteria under the HCS.
Which government premises are covered in this policy?

Please refer to the below for the list of government premises which are covered in the Healthier Food and Beverage Policy. 
Government premises used for government offices
  • All office premises occupied by Ministries, Statutory Boards and Organs of State located in Singapore, including Headquarters and all constituent Branches, Centres, Departments and Divisions, which may or may not be located in the same building.
  • For example, HPB building, MINDEF/SAF camps, fire stations, police posts.
Government premises used for government business transactions
  • All Government Service Centres where public can raise enquiries or seek assistance with government transactions or services.
  • For example, Housing & Development Board Branches and Service Centres.
Government premises used for the promotion of health and wellness
  • Parks and nature reserves
  • Reservoirs
  • Sports facilities
  • Community centres/clubs and resident committees
  • Healthcare institutions

All settings that sell or provide drinks at these premises must comply with the Healthier Food and Beverage Policy, except F&B establishments in these premises that are licensed by National Environment Agency as a ‘restaurant’, ‘café’, ‘snack bar’ or ‘eating house/ food court/ canteen’. These F&B establishments are required to either become a Healthier Dining Programme Partner or comply with the Healthier Food and Beverage Policy upon lease renewal.

Government premises used for education
  • Polytechnics and ITE
  • Public libraries
  • The Science Centre
All settings that sell or provide drinks at these premises must comply with the Healthier Food and Beverage Policy, except F&B establishments in these premises that are licensed by National Environment Agency as a ‘restaurant’, ‘café’, ‘snack bar’ or ‘eating house/ food court/ canteen’. These F&B establishments are required to either become a Healthier Dining Programme Partner or comply with the Healthier Food and Beverage Policy upon lease renewal.
Other Government premises

All other Government premises not included in the above 4 categories are encouraged to comply with the Healthier Food and Beverage Policy. For example:

  • Places of interest and tourist attractions (e.g. museums, Sentosa)
  • Premises for retail purpose (e.g. shopping complexes)
  • Premises for residential purposes (e.g. hawker centres)
  • Premises for industrial and commercial purpose (e.g. industrial estates)
  • Premises where government agencies have no influence or control over the contracts/leases affecting sale of SSBs
  • Government-owned premises leased out to and managed by private entities who control sub-letting arrangements
  • Autonomous Universities
  • Ad-hoc events held on Government premises
Resources and Forms
  • Refer to the Healthier Food and Beverage Policy Frequently Asked Questions for more information on the guidelines and how to comply with the policy.
  • Agencies may request for suppliers/ vendors/ tenants to complete the Healthier Food and Beverage Declaration Form to declare that drinks sold or provided will comply with the Healthier Food and Beverage policy requirements. The Healthier Food and Beverage Declaration Form can be downloaded here.