SINGAPORE - - 23 August 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.
,
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."
"The
authorities should also safeguard the meaning of their "Healthier
Choice" symbol," said Mr Ong, "by not
endorsing products which substitute sugar for intense artificial
sweeteners,
as
the effect of such artificial sweeteners on our bodies is debatable.
The
symbol has come to be trusted as an assurance that endorsed products
are safe and healthy to consume. Let's
not cause confusion to consumers."
About
POKKA Singapore (www.pokka.co)
Established
in 1977 by parent company POKKA SAPPORO Food & Beverage Ltd.,
Japan, POKKA Singapore is a leading beverage company in Singapore and
Asia-Pacific.
A
continuous focus to improve and innovate, coupled with numerous years
of experience in the Food & Beverage industry, and has helped
POKKA retain its position as the one of the best in the market.
Today, POKKA is a market leader in Singapore's ready-to-drink
beverage market, and a renowned brand in over 50 other countries
across Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
In
Singapore, the
brand is No. 1 in various categories--Ready-to-Drink
Green Tea, Western Tea, Non-Chilled Juice Drinks and Coffee,
according to Nielsen Market Track. In the recent Influential Brands
2016, POKKA has also once again emerged as the top brand in the
category of Non-Carbonated Beverages among Generation Y consumers in
Singapore.
Through
POKKA International Pte Ltd., the company has established a strong
and efficient team to handle the distribution and marketing of
POKKA's products as well as partner brands such as Sapporo Beer,
Red Bull, evian, Volvic, BADOIT, Vita Coco, Kickapoo, Sinalco, Asian
Story and others.