MOH: Plain water encouraged as ban on sugary foods, drinks expanded to all school areas, including canteens

The Ministry of Health is discouraging the intake of sugary foods in an attempt to get more Malaysians to have a healthier diet. — DayakDaily.com file pic. // Photo credit: Elena Leya/Unsplash

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, Aug 2: The Malaysian Ministry of Health (MOH) has taken a significant step to combat high sugar intake by expanding the ban on the sale of high-sugar foods and drinks, such as flavoured beverages, cordials, and carbonated drinks to all school areas, including canteens.

According to a press release from Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, schools are also encouraged to provide plain water sources as part of this initiative.

Dr Dzulkefly stated that MOH takes the issue of high sugar consumption seriously, as it is a major contributor to various non-communicable diseases (NCDs) related to diet, particularly obesity and diabetes.

He went on to say that the 2023 National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS), which was recently released, found that the prevalence of overweight and obesity among Malaysians increased from 50.1 per cent in 2019 to 54.5 per cent.

“Although there has been a slight decrease in diabetes prevalence among adults, from 18.3 per cent in 2019 to 15.6 per cent, Malaysia still ranks among the countries with the highest prevalence in Southeast Asia, with one in six Malaysians suffering from diabetes.

“In response to this alarming trend, MOH has implemented various measures under the ‘War on Sugar’ campaign,” he was quoted as saying.

The minister highlighted that the Strategic Plan to Reduce Sugar Intake Among Malaysians 2024-2030 was launched on June 29, 2024.

To encourage the food and beverage industry to reformulate products to be healthier, Dr Dzulkefly explained that MOH introduced the Healthier Choice Logo (HCL) in 2017 and imposed a sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) tax since July 2019.

“The effort to reduce sugar intake continues with the ‘1 Teaspoon is Enough, Less is Better, None is Best!’ campaign, focusing on beverage preparation in cafeterias, restaurants, and eateries nationwide.”

Dr Dzulkefly further noted that MOH has intensified community programmes to reduce daily sugar consumption among Malaysians.

Furthermore, he said that the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) has also reinforced these efforts with the ‘Less Sugar, Lower Prices’ campaign.

This initiative supports MOH’s expanded ban on high-sugar foods and drinks in schools and encourages the provision of plain water sources. — DayakDaily