Malaysia will be introducing a grading system on sugary drinks as the government wages war against sugar, Malay Mail and New Straits Times reported.

Malaysian Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad on May 16 said the grading system will be according to its sugar content.

"This is similar to (what has been done by) our neighbours across the causeway, where the level of sugar in drinks is graded A,B,C, or D," Dzulkefly said, as quoted by NST.

The Health Minister did not provide a timeline for the implementation.

Nutri-Grade

In 2022, Singapore implemented the Nutri-Grade to categorise beverages based on their sugar and saturated fat levels.

The drinks with the lowest sugar and saturated fat content will be categorised as "A" and the highest will be labelled "D".

The Nutri-Grade labels are to keep unhealthy diets in check and prevent diseases such as diabetes.

Rise of obesity in Malaysia

The move to introduce a grading system on sugary drinks comes following a 2023 National Health and Morbidity Survey which revealed that the number of adults who are overweight or living with obesity is on the rise in Malaysia.

Dzulkefly said that this group of people are at a higher risk of Type Two diabetes, cancer, and fatty liver diseases.

According to the Health Minister, one of the reasons for the rise of obesity is excessive sugar consumption.

Top image via Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad/Facebook and Notalkwalk/YouTube.