PETALING JAYA: As the government intensifies its war on sugar, consumer groups are calling on eateries to label the sugar and calorie content of their food and drinks.
Saravanan Thambirajah, chief executive officer of the Federation of Malaysian Consumer Associations, said labeling of food content, especially the sugar content of drinks, would be a proactive step that would empower consumers to make informed health decisions.
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“Clear information about sugar content allows consumers to make healthier choices. Transparency also encourages food and drink operators to monitor the ingredients they use, gradually reducing sugar levels,” he said.
Saravanan acknowledged that making labels mandatory could burden smaller businesses due to higher costs.
Still, he said, incentives such as tax credits and public recognition for companies that do can encourage adoption.
“This is how we strike a balance between providing information to consumers and the challenges small businesses face.
“As more places start to do this, sugar labeling may become standard practice,” he said, calling on government cafeterias to lead by example.
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“With places like Parliament’s cafeteria already having calorie charts, expanding the practice to more government offices could be a powerful example.
“When the public sector takes the lead, it often encourages the private sector to follow,” Saravanan said.
On the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living’s campaign to reduce sugar consumption, he said it should avoid the pitfalls of earlier initiatives such as the Tak Nak Merokok (No Smoking) campaign.
“This should not be seen as a one-off effort, but rather as part of a long-term strategy to change consumer behavior and reduce overall sugar consumption,” he added.
Saravanan said that apart from labeling and pricing strategies, public education campaigns need to be intensified to raise awareness about the effects of excessive sugar consumption.
“Schools and workplaces should be targeted with specific programs that educate and promote healthier eating habits,” he said.
Penang Consumers Union president Mohideen Abdul Kader also echoed the concern that cafes or stalls may not mark up due to cost.
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However, he said food and drink manufacturers can print and add sugar content on their products in a way that consumers can easily see.
Mohideen said that drinks prepared by eateries should not have sugar added, but should be purchased as an extra.
Regarding the proposed new sugar tax, he said it could provide both fiscal and health benefits.
“Just like alcohol and tobacco taxes, increasing the price of unhealthy drinks would be a positive step.
“Poorer households are also more responsive to price increases and more likely to limit their sugar intake, thereby reducing health care costs and improving their well-being in the long run,” he said.
In the same vein, Dr Siti Raihanah Shafie, a senior lecturer in the Department of Nutrition at Universiti Putra Malaysia, said calorie labeling allows consumers to make healthier choices when dining out.
“Displaying calorie information on menus can be a powerful tool for creating a food environment that helps people make informed food choices.
“Furthermore, this practice may motivate the food service industry to redesign their menus to offer healthier options.
“The same principle should apply to hot food prepared at sales counters and restaurants. It is equally important that these food outlets provide clear information on sugar and calorie content, given that many people frequently eat from such outlets,” he said.
Siti Raihanah said the government should also come up with clear and comprehensive guidelines for food premises to enable both large restaurants and smaller vendors to create a more transparent and healthy food environment.
“With such guidelines, eateries could confidently and consistently label sugar and calorie content, ensuring consumers have access to accurate information.
“This collaboration would not only strengthen the food industry’s efforts to promote healthier choices, but also promote a more health-conscious society,” he said.
However, endocrinology and diabetes specialist Dr Alexander Tan Tong Boon said it is not practical to label foods that are not factory-produced as the proportion of ingredients and portion sizes can vary.
People today tend to eat for “pleasure” rather than nutrition, he said.
“Also, labeling is only one side of the story. Malaysians need to be bothered to look at the signs and they also need to be taught how to interpret the signs.
“Even if they are taught to read labels, a Malaysian who wants to eat nasi lemak will still eat nasi lemak.
“Fast food companies have been labeling their food for years, but it hasn’t changed people’s food choices.
“I don’t think food labeling at eateries has any effect on the prevalence of diabetes in Malaysia,” said Dr Tan.
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