MIRI: The Ministry of Health (MOH) is stepping up initiatives aimed at reducing sugar consumption among Malaysians, in a bid to improve public health and combat non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Deputy Health Minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni revealed that the ministry is working on measures to help the public make informed decisions about their dietary habits, including a new grading system to indicate sugar content in food and beverages.
“We are preparing regulations that have already been presented to the Cabinet. One of the initiatives we are working on is a grading system for sugar content,” he said during the NHMS 2024 data collecting programme here today (Sept 8).
“For instance, a can of chocolate-flavoured drink will have a label with grades A, B, or C, indicating the percentage of sugar it contains. This will make it easier for consumers to see and understand the sugar levels in the products they are consuming,” he added.
He said the campaign, dubbed the “War on Sugar,” aims to be a positive movement toward reducing the health and financial burdens associated with excessive sugar intake.
“By cutting down on sugar, we can lower the incidence of health issues and reduce the strain on our healthcare facilities, which are often overwhelmed by patients with NCDs,” he said.
Lukanisman also acknowledged that while Malaysia has implemented a sugar tax on sugary food products through the Ministry of Finance and customs, the impact on the general public remains limited.
“The tax primarily targets the industry, but the rate may need to be revised over time. The MOH will continue to provide input to the Ministry of Finance to monitor trends and improve the effectiveness of this initiative,” he disclosed.
