Formulate clean label sauces to comply with Malaysia’s 2024 HCL

The implementation of the Healthier Choice Logo (HCL) is an initiative by the Ministry of Health Malaysia, launched in 2017. This initiative aligns with the National Plan of Action for Nutrition, promoting healthy eating and active living for all. The objectives of the HCL are to assist consumers in making informed food choices by providing clear front-label information, helping them identify healthier products within the same category, and encouraging the food and beverage industries to reformulate and produce healthier options. Additionally, it aims to create an environment that promotes healthy eating practices. In this article, Biospringer’s Asia Pacific experts use clean label sauces as an example to highlight the potential of yeast extract as a substitute for salt and sugar.

New food regulation update in Malaysia

2024 Amendments in the HCL regulations in Malaysia

Consumer looking at sauce label

This year, the HCL regulation in Malaysia has been strengthened. As a result, food formulators are expected to further reduce sodium & sugar levels. Let’s take a closer look at the recent changes driving this transformation:

Salt reduction in sauces: updates in Malaysian regulations

Recent updates have introduced stricter sodium limits. For instance, in the convenience food category, sodium content must not exceed 700 mg per serving. Specifically, for sauces, the sodium limit is now capped at 3000 mg per serving to qualify for the HCL. These measures aim to align with international health guidelines for sodium consumption.

Sugar reduction in sauces: updates in Malaysian regulations

Likewise, the maximum permissible sugar levels have been tightened across various food categories. For sauces, the allowable sugar content has been reduced to 16 g per serving to ensure compliance with HCL guidelines. These updated standards encourage food manufacturers to reformulate their products, providing healthier options to help reduce the incidence of non-communicable diseases in Malaysia. Sauces that meet these criteria can proudly display the HCL, making it easier for consumers to choose lower-sodium and lower-sugar alternatives.

Critical insights on sodium and sugar reduction in sauces revealed by Markaids’ market study in Malaysia

A recent study conducted by Markaids – Biospringer’s official partner in Malaysia –,  which analyzed thousands of products in Malaysia, revealed critical insights into sodium and sugar content.

After analyzing samples of soy sauces, sodium level needs to be reduced by 24%, while sugar content must be cut down by an even more significant 57%. Similarly, within the chili sauces assessed, sodium levels should decrease by 59%, and sugar should be reduced by 52%. For ketchup, sodium should be decreased by 52%, and sugar by 25%.

These findings highlight the pressing need in the Malaysian market for natural ingredient solutions that can effectively replace sodium and sugar in sauce applications. Given its unique composition, yeast extract emerges as the ideal solution to replace existing ingredients such as salt and sugar in these formulations, allowing formulators to develop clean label sauces.

Challenges and solutions when reformulating to achieve clean label sauces

Formulating clean label sauces presents several challenges, especially given the evolving regulatory landscape and changing consumer preferences. Below are the main challenges food manufacturers encounter, along with Biospringer’s solutions:

Challenges when reformulating sauces application Our fermentation-based solutions to comply with HCL
Flavor optimization:
Reducing sugar and salt often affects flavor profiles. Finding alternative ingredients to to maintain a balanced taste is challenging.
Springer® Umami ingredients help to naturally reduce salt and sodium while amplifying savory taste. The Springer® Reveal range reduces sugar by up to 50% in sweet sauces, while improving flavor.
Ingredient sourcing:
Finding high-quality, compliant ingredients to replace sugar and salt can be difficult due to market fluctuations.
With 10 manufacturing sites globally and 150 years of expertise, Biospringer delivers high-quality yeast extracts to meet formulation needs.
Consumer preferences:
Meeting local taste expectations is crucial, as consumers often have strong preferences for traditional flavors.
Yeast extracts naturally improve flavor. Our locally-based experts help ensure our solutions correspond to local expectations. For instance, our ingredients are Halal, an important certification for Malaysian market.
Innovation and trends:
Keeping up with trends like clean label and organic adds complexity to formulation.
Our experts conduct innovation sessions directly at customers’ locations, analyzing trends and successful product launches to provide tailored, innovative solutions.
Testing and consumer acceptance:
Conducting sensory evaluations and consumer testing can be time-consuming.
Our dedicated Sensory Analysis team ensures our solutions meet consumer expectations in terms of flavor and sensory experience.
Healthiness :
Manufacturers face pressure to develop healthier, clean label formulations.
Our fermentation-based ingredients are clean label, as they are coming from yeast. Among other benefits, they replace additives like MSG, supporting healthier formulations.

By thoughtfully addressing these challenges, we can create clean label sauces that not only comply with regulatory standards but also satisfy consumer demands for flavor and quality.

To improve your clean label sauces formulations to comply with HCL regulations, contact our Sales Manager, Fion Kong, based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We will organize a demo session at your doorstep to showcase how our solutions can transform your products.



BIOSPRINGER is a trademark and it does not imply systematically that the product is organic according to EU Regulation 2018/ 848, the status of each product supplied should be checked on the technical documentation.