Dutch Lady Launches Drive To Reduce Sugar Consumption

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 30 (Bernama) -- Dutch Lady Milk Industries Bhd is committed to improve the health of its customers by reducing sugar consumption by 40 per cent from the current usage level by 2013. Its managing director, Bas van der Berg, said currently, out of its 110 products, 32 per cent were made without added sugar. "By end-2013, the company aims to reduce the annual consumption of added sugar by over 2,700 tons, which represent 40 per cent reduction from the current usage level. "This will be followed by the introduction of the improved range of existing products with 25 per cent less sugar, namely Dutch Lady Kid, Dutch Lady School and Dutch Lady Low-Fat Drinking Yogurt. "By unveiling these products with lower sugar contents, consumers can expect that the sugar levels to be reduced in all our products in time to come," he said at the launch of the company's two-year 'Sugar Reduction' campaign here Wednesday. The campaign is part of Dutch Lady's corporate social responsibility programme and business sustainability efforts. van der Berg said the campaign heeded the government's call and the medical fraternity's concerted efforts to reduce sugar content in food products as well as to help educate Malaysians about the ill-effects of sugar consumption. Along with the campaign, he also said the company has ceased production of its sweetened condensed milk in September this year. "Dutch Lady believes that if the customers start to replace sweetened creamers with evaporated, or ultra-high-temperature, milk and use only one teaspoon of sugar every day, this can surely help reduce per capita sugar consumption in the long run," he said. He said the decision to discontinue the product would help the company achieve its aim to reduce sugar consumption. -- BERNAMA