SINGAPORE — While the latest measures proposed by the Government to curb sugar intake will be good for health, some consumers wondered if they are a step too far.

On Tuesday (Dec 4), the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Health Promotion Board (HPB) put up four proposed measures for public consultation until Jan 25 next year.

The four measures are: A nationwide ban on the sale of higher-sugar, pre-packaged beverages; a tax on manufacturers and importers of these beverages; extended advertising regulations for these beverages beyond the current voluntary guidelines; and mandatory front-of-package labels detailing the beverage’s nutrition value to help consumers identify healthier and less healthy options.

Some consumers interviewed by TODAY welcomed the proposed measures, agreeing that they will help lower sugar intake.

“I will definitely be less tempted to get sugary drinks if I don't see them physically on store shelves,” said Coke drinker and sales manager Luis Tan, 34, referring to the proposed ban on higher-sugar beverages.

Others felt that a ban may be excessive and may not achieve its objective. Horticulturalist Muhammad Hazri, 26, for example, said that consumers could still resort to other means to raise the sugar content of their drinks.

However, he agreed that mandatory nutrition labels and advertising regulations will be useful in helping consumers to decide if they want to continue taking these beverages.

On taxes that could be imposed on manufacturers and importers of beverages, there is the question of whether consumers will ultimately bear the cost.

HPB chief executive officer Zee Yoong Kang acknowledged that there is a chance that the tax might be passed on to consumers, but said that it will hopefully “encourage consumers to choose the many other alternatives that have less sugar” and are cheaper. 

Besides inviting public feedback, the authorities will also be engaging the beverage and advertising industries.

Responding to TODAY’s queries, a spokesperson for Coca-Cola Singapore said that it “recognises that diabetes and obesity are important issues for our consumers”.

“We believe there are more effective ways to address diabetes and obesity than taxes or advertising restrictions that only target beverages. That’s why we’re taking steps to help people reduce the amount of sugar they consume,” the spokesperson added.

These steps include reducing sugar in many of its products, and introducing products with lower, or no, sugar.

A spokesperson for Pokka said that it is “supportive of the Singapore Government’s health agenda”. “Pokka continues to innovate with new products that will contribute to the wellbeing of all Singaporeans and consumers worldwide,” the company added.

Food and beverage firm Nestle said in a statement that “a holistic and collaborative multi stakeholder approach” is required to combat obesity and non-communicable diseases, and that “proposed solutions should undergo rigorous and thorough analysis as well as consultation with all stakeholders and our company”.

TODAY has also reached out to four other beverage companies — F&N Foods, Malaysia Dairy Industries, PepsiCo and Yeo Hiap Seng which, together with Coca Cola, Nestle, and Pokka, make up 70 per cent of the pre-packaged, sugar-sweetened beverage market in Singapore.

Last year, the seven companies pledged to keep sugar levels in their drinks to no more than six teaspoons per 250ml.

Coca-Cola Singapore said that it “is on track to meet our pledge commitments”.

“Today, 60 per cent of our portfolio in Singapore fall into the lower- or no-sugar categories.

“Going forward, we will continue to rethink many of our recipes around the world and in Singapore to reduce sugar, because while sugar in moderation is fine, too much of it isn’t good for anyone,” the spokesperson added.

Nestle’s spokesperson added that the company's group-wide mandatory policy on sugars reduction has been in place since 2007, reducing the amount of added sugars in its products by 34 per cent between 2000 and 2010. It had cut down sugar content by 39,000 tonnes (eight per cent on average) in these products by the end of 2016.

“We are committed to further reducing added sugars in our products by five per cent by 2020, to help people live healthier lives,” added its spokesperson.

Professor Ang Peng Hwa, chairman of the Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore (Asas), said that there are restrictions on advertisements targeted at children for foods that are high in fat, sugar and salt.

Current restrictions were developed through a consultative process involving MOH, HPB and the Asas.

“We see the (latest) consultation in a similar light, incorporating input from various stakeholders to shape the guidelines. As this is only the launch of the process, and there are various options to be considered, it would be premature to judge the proposed measures at this time,” Prof Ang told TODAY.

Asas will be seeking clarifications from the authorities regarding the proposed advertising restrictions, as well as their impact and implementation.

While Food Industry Asia (FIA) executive director Matthew Kovac said that the food industry group welcomes the authorities’ decision to hold a public consultation, he added that “more options need to be put on the table”.

“There should be a more collaborative multi-stakeholder approach, including the industry, to help solve some of these issues rather than present options like blanket bans or those that may be viewed as discriminatory in nature,” said Mr Kovac.

Commenting on the proposal to impose taxes on the soft drinks industry, he added that there is “no magic bullet” to tackle non-communicable diseases, and that “many scientific studies have suggested that the effectiveness of sugar tax in reducing the consumption of sugar sweetened beverages may be limited”.

An outright ban on such drinks would also not guarantee an overall dip in sugar intake as consumers could choose other foods that satisfy their needs, he added.

“Rather than focus on a single intervention, we firmly believe it would be best to adopt a comprehensive set of initiatives such as consumer education and food innovation, which are developed with input from all stakeholders and clearly supported by science-based evidence to ensure they achieve real results,” Mr Kovac said.

CORRECTION:  In an earlier version of this story, we misreported the name of the Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore (Asas). We are sorry for the error.