HPB: 31% Of All Packaged Drinks Worryingly Packed With More Than 10% Sugar

By
Siti Hawa
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Just recently, the Health Promotion Board and the Health Ministry announced that there’ll be a total advertising ban on high sugared drinks.

They will also be placing labels to inform the public on how unhealthy or healthy a certain drink is based on sugar content.

Other factors such as saturated fat content will also be considered.

If you’re wondering why this is even happening, it’s all part of an initiative to battle diabetes.

Hold up. That’s not the only reason.

Sale Of Drinks With Sugar Level Above 10% Has Not Dropped Despite Measures

Lest you’re unaware, various health measures have been put into place in the past, such as ‘healthier choice’ labels.

However, if you think that that has affected the sales or the availability of these drinks in stores, think again.

It’s obvious that these drinks aren’t goody for you. ie. High sugar content equals to diabetes or obesity or the combination of both. But consumers just don’t seem to care.

According to TODAYonline, Senior Minister of State for Law and Health Edwin Tong has revealed that by the end of 2018, the segment of drinks made up 31% of all pre-packaged drink options available in Singapore and made up a whopping 25% of all sales.

Many Unassuming Drinks Are Actually Full Of Sugar

Image: Giphy

Thirsty? Let’s grab that Pokka Peach Tea. That can of Coke looks pretty good too.

But wait just a minute… it might come as a surprise to most that these options might not be the worst of the lot.

According to an informal survey conducted by TODAY at a supermarket, brands like Coca-cola and Pokka actually do not have the highest sugar content.

Consumers are none the wiser too, and might not guess that the drinks they thought were relatively ‘healthier’ are actually more sugar-laden.

The Culprits

Here are some shocking sugar figures compared to the 10.6% sugar found in Coke:

  • Welch’s 100% Grape Juice advertises itself as ‘No sugar added’ but actually has 15.2% sugar content as grapes have a lot of natural sugars.
  • Meiji Paigen fat-free cultured yoghurt drink contains 15.2% sugar

These are actually comparable to Red Bull Classic’s 15.8% sugar content.

Image: Giphy

What’s more shocking is that 5% of pre-packaged drinks in Singapore actually contain six to seven teaspoons of sugar aka 12-14% sugar.

Big yikes.

Juice Products Found To Be High In Sugar

My mom used to tell me this, but I never really believed it. However, you can’t deny cold hard facts.

TODAY found that juice products such as

  • Del Monte-branded prune juice and cranberry fruit drink
  • Bickford’s pomegranate 100% juice

Are both packed full of sugar. The figures? 13-13.5% sugar. Kudos to the natural sugar from the fruits found in the drink.

Other drink’s sugar figures for your perusal:

  • Pepsi (10.6%)
  • Ribena (10.4%)
  • Mocha-flavoured Starbucks Frappuccino chilled coffee drink (11%)
  • Bundaberg Root Beer (11.8%)
  • Marigold 100% Juice Apple Grape (11.9%)
  • Lee brand of pineapple juice with sugar added (12%)

According to HPB, 25% of drinks sold in Singapore have between 10-12% sugar content. Together, they hold a market share of 22%.

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Siti Hawa
Email: [email protected]