The government is always looking out for you.
Sometimes, they take the role of your parents to “nag” at you about the food and drinks you consume.
In the Ministry of Health’s latest bid to get citizens healthy and reduce their sugar intake, existing Nutri-Grade labelling measures will be extended to bubble tea toppings at the end of the year.
Here is what you need to know.
Nutri-Grade Labelling Will Extend to Bubble Tea Toppings
At the end of last month, the Ministry of Health officially announced that it would be extending its Nutri-Grade labelling requirements to a whole range of drinks.
This extension brings freshly prepared beverages sold in food and beverage outlets, including from our favourite bubble tea shops, under the scope of Nutri-Grade labelling.
For those unaware, the new four-grade labels we have seen on our packet drinks are meant to help consumers “better identify beverages that are lower in sugar and saturated fat”.
As part of the extension of measures, toppings such as pearls and jellies that can be added to freshly prepared beverages will also need to be labelled.
Here is an example of what a menu with beverages may look like with the toppings and drinks labelled appropriately may look like soon, as conceptualised by the Ministry of Health.
There’s nothing like an in-your-face label to guilt-trip you about not ordering that additional pearl topping when your bubble tea drink is already labelled grade “D” due to its high sugar and saturated fat content.
New Measures Will Kick in on 30 December 2023
If you are shocked at the new measures, hopefully, the shock is less for those who offer beverages which fall under the Nutri-Grade labelling umbrella.
The new measures will take effect on 30 December 2023, so outlet operators have about six months to determine the appropriate labels to add to their updated menu.
The Health Promotion Board has also been supporting industry partners to cope with the new changes, providing “guidance and resources to facilitate the implementation of the extended Nutri-Grade measures” and helping with “product reformulation and commercialisation efforts under the Healthier Dining Programme”.
Those who are stubborn and refuse to label their drinks as required may face a fine not exceeding $1,000 upon their first conviction. For second or subsequent convictions, the monetary penalty increases, with offenders liable for a fine not exceeding $2,000.
Here is a summary of the new Nutri-Grade measures taking effect at the end of the year if you would like more information.
Here’s a simplified summary of the South Korea martial law that even a 5-year-old would understand:
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