Taiwan Releases New Color-Coded Food Labels
Taiwan's Health Promotion Administration released new dietary guidelines with a planned color-coded labeling system for food packaging to help consumers quickly assess salt and sugar content. The guidelines emphasize increased fruit and vegetable consumption plus plentiful water intake, making healthy choices more accessible.
The new labeling system is part of the broader Nutrition and Healthy Diet Promotion Act, which became effective in January 2024. By the close of 2025, this act had already facilitated the creation of 85 community nutrition promotion centers and the placement of 164 nutritionists nationwide to enhance public health. The upcoming front-of-package labeling will feature a "traffic light" design, using red, yellow, and green to signify high, moderate, and low amounts of salt, sugar, saturated fats, and calories. This system is intended to offer a quick reference for consumers, particularly given the high rate of dining out in Taiwan. A preliminary agreement on the traffic light model has been reached by experts, and the Food and Drug Administration is currently holding consultations with the food industry. The formal unveiling of the updated dietary guidelines, which will include the detailed color-coded system, is slated for the second quarter of 2026. This move is in step with international food labeling practices, where studies have indicated that color-coded labels can effectively guide consumers toward healthier food choices. The primary aim is to combat health problems associated with high consumption of salt and sugar, such as an increased risk of hypertension, obesity, and diabetes.
