SINGAPORE--(Marketwired - Aug 23, 2017) - During the 2017 National Day Rally, PM Lee Hsien Loong highlighted diabetes as a major long-term health problem in Singapore, affecting 1 in 9 Singaporeans, and 3 in 10 among the elderly.
To combat diabetes, PM Lee offered four tips for healthy living, one of which was to consume less soft drinks. Furthermore, he also highlighted a recent initiative by the Health Promotion Board, which invited a voluntary commitment from beverage manufacturers in Singapore to ensure that all drinks manufactured and distributed in Singapore will not exceed 12% in total sugar content by the year 2020.
POKKA, the largest beverage brand in Singapore and a key partner of Government health initiatives, is fully and completely supportive of the Government's efforts to improve citizen health, and is proud to announce that it has made the commitment to ensure that all POKKA products will adhere to HPB's 12% sugar content guideline.
As a brand, health and quality have always been central to POKKA's promise. It has always aimed to improve consumers' quality of life through its healthy and natural beverages. As such, the commitment it has made is completely aligned with its values.
POKKA was one of the earliest participants in the Health Promotion Board's Healthier Choice programme after its inception in 2005. It was one of the earliest beverage brands to carry the Healthier Choice symbol. Today, after a decade of focused innovation, more than 40% of its portfolio meets the Healthier Choice requirement, with sugar contents of 6% or less.
In fact, less than 5% of the beverages POKKA manufactures and distributes in Singapore contain total sugar of 12% or more -- specifically, POKKA Soursop Juice Drink, POKKA Guava Juice Drink, and partner brands Kickapoo, Sinalco and Green Spot. Both POKKA drinks contain 12.3% sugar, while the partner brands contain 12.8%, 12.3% and 12.0% respectively.
POKKA has already begun reformulating its Soursop and Guava juice drinks to meet HPB's 12% criteria, and it is fully confident of achieving the 2020 target set by HPB. It will also be working with its partner brands to adjust their recipes to conform to HPB's guidelines. Furthermore, it will continue its quest to create quality beverages with less than 6% sugar, in order to provide even more Healthier Choice options for our consumers to savour.
Mr Alain Ong (CEO, POKKA International Pte Ltd) sees the sugar reduction initiative as only a beginning. "As Singapore's largest beverage brand, committed to healthier consumer living, POKKA absolutely supports the government's measures to fight diabetes and promote healthier living," said Mr Ong. "However, reducing sugar in beverages alone is one-dimensional. Moving forward, our authorities should also adopt a holistic perspective of healthy living, regulating sugary food items such as snacks and confectioneries."