In Malaysia, more than 242 beverage products have been reformulated to contain less sugar under the Healthier Choice Logo (HCL) initiative, following the introduction of sugar tax on sugary drinks.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad revealed this findings based on the Impact and Effectiveness Assessment of the Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax conducted in 2022, two years after the tax was implemented in 2019.
“Producers of sugary drinks have reformulated their products to lower sugar levels in order to avoid paying the tax,” he said. B
He was responding to Senator Susan Chemerai Anding’s query on the effectiveness of the sugar tax and its positive impact on public health.
The study also showed that the 40 sen (US$0.09) per litre sugar tax had minimal impact on market prices, resulting in only a 2.24% increase compared to the anticipated 8.83%, added Dr Dzulkefly.
“What’s more significant is that the tax had successfully reduced sugary drink consumption, particularly among adolescents, with a decline from 36.9% to 16.4%. Carbonated drink consumption has also declined among youths and lower income group based on another 2022 health survey.
The Health Ministry projected that there will be greater reduction in sugar consumption with the government’s recent announcement to raise the sugar tax to 90 sen (US$0.20) per litre.
