| Diets here in Singapore — where food is often packed with ingredients like soy sauce — could get less salty soon. The health ministry is extending its Nutri-Grade labeling requirements to four new product categories: Pre-packed salt, sauces and seasonings, instant noodles and cooking oil. Authorities hope this will encourage people to eat healthier, with excessive sodium and saturated fat both key factors for chronic diseases such as hypertension and hyperlipidemia — each of which impacted roughly one-third of residents by 2022, according to ministry data. The Nutri-Grade system has already been used on packaged beverages since 2022, and rates products from A to D — with an A grade the healthiest and a D the least — according to their sugar and saturated fat content. The labeling aims to make it easier for consumers to make healthier, more informed choices when they face potentially misleading advertisements.
Cardiovascular disease is Singapore's leading cause of death, accounting for 31% of fatalities in 2021-22, according to the Singapore Heart Foundation. The government has launched various initiatives to combat its health challenges, including Healthier SG, which encourages Singaporeans to take proactive steps to prevent chronic disease and adopt fitter lifestyles. One of the latest is the decision to extend Nutri-Grade, after the median sugar level of pre-packed graded drinks dropped from 7.1% in 2017 to 4.6% as of September 2023. "Many producers have reformulated their beverages," Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said late last month, the local Straits Times reported. "Labeling, I believe, has shaped the palate of the population with regard to sugar." Two years ago, the National Nutrition Survey showed that 90% of residents' sodium intake exceeded the World Health Organization's recommended limit of 2,000mg per day. Other dietary issues abound: More than one-third of the total fat consumed by residents is saturated, the health ministry says, which could cause cholesterol to build up in the blood vessels. Authorities haven't announced when the salt labeling requirements will take effect, though more details will be announced after "conducting further consultations with the industry over the coming months." The government will also launch a voluntary initiative to help customers identify food shops and stalls that provide healthier dishes. I'll be curious to see if any of my favorites make the cut. —Karoline Kan | 
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