Health Ministry Puts Fast Food Under Close Scrutiny

BATU PAHAT, Feb 20 (Bernama) -- The Health Ministry will meet non-governmental organisation (NGO) representatives to work on a campaign to educate the public on the pros and cons of fast food.
Its Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said the meeting will be held immediately after the Chinese New Year holiday as the ministry was concerned with the current lifestyle of Malaysians and their fast food eating habits.
He said the ministry welcomed the call made by the NGOs, particularly the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association and the Penang Consumers Association, to stop fast food advertisements in the local media.
"A meeting will be held to find the best method to educate the public to avoid fast food consumption at the early age," he told reporters after a Chinese New Year Celebration, organised by Batu Pahat MCA, here last night.
The Johor MCA chairman said it was time that the fast food eating habits and their advertisements be monitored to check the increasing cases of diseases like diabetes, cardiac arrests, high blood pressure and kidney failure among Malaysians.
He said cases of such diseases were increasing with diabetes cases among Malaysians expected to rise between 12 and 13 per cent by 2020 against nine per cent at present.
"To us, the fast food advertisements are as dangerous as the cigarette and liquor advertisements. If they are not curbed at the early stage, they will be silent killers," he said.
Dr Chua said currently children as young as one-year-old were frequenting fast food restaurants in Malaysia and without proper supervision, they will be exposed to the silent killers.
He noted that several food products manufacturers like Nestle and Dutch Lady had agreed to reduce salt, sugar and fat contents in their canned products six months from now to help the government in its efforts to promote healthy living among Malaysians.
The Health Ministry has also a set up a committee to study whether the reduction of these flavouring items can reduce the quality of the food products, he added.