KUALA LUMPUR, April 16 – The Health Ministry has no plans to ban the sales of energy drinks that contained sugar or caffeine to individuals, aged 18 years and below. Deputy Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahya said every individual had the right to buy drinks of their own choice because nutritional information or ingredient contents used were included on the label of each product. “
We create a more positive movement by giving information and explanation on how to have a healthy lifestyle especially in terms of nutrition to all, from primary school children to secondary and university students. “However from enforcement aspect, we (ministry) conduct random inspections and take samples of a particular drink to ensure products sold comply to the Standard Food Regulation 1985, which among others, determines the amount of sugar permitted in flavoured drinks,” he said. Hilmi was replying to a question by Datuk Dayang Madinah Tun Abang Openg during the question-and-answer session in Dewan Negara here today.
Dayang Madinah wanted to know measures being taken by the ministry on the World Health organisation (WHO)’s warning that energy drinks with sugar and caffeine contents could endanger the health of children and youths. Hilmi said his ministry in cooperation with the Education Ministry had been providing healthy school canteen management guidelines that prohibited food and beverage sales which contravened the food regulations in schools.
He said this was one of the measures to encourage healthy nutrition among school children as part of efforts to prevent non infectious diseases that were becoming increasingly alarming. “This ministry also conduct ‘Healthy Doctor’ programme in primary and secondary schools and universities to ensure they practise a health lifestyle, including from aspects of food and sport activities,” he said. –BERNAMA
