BANGKOK, July 11 (TNA) – Almost all bubble milk tea brands
in the Thai market contain sugar exceeding the World Health Organization’s
recommended level for daily intake, says the Foundation for Consumers (FFC).
The Foundation’s director Saree Ong-somwang on Thursday
announced the result of a study conducted in May on 25 brands of bubble milk
tea, a popular drink among young people in the country.
She said that only two of the 25 tested samples contained
less than 24 grams of sugar, which is the WHO’s recommended daily consumption.
Top of the list contained 74 grams of sugar, or 18.5
teaspoons, three time higher than the WHOs’ guideline, she said.
The WHO guideline recommends adults and children to roughly
six teaspoons per day, which would provide additional health benefits.
The FFC’s study showed that Thai consumers’ faced greater
risks to Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD), Saree said.
Bubbles, or sometimes called pearls, in all 25 brands
contained preservatives Benzoic acid and Sorbic acid, but within the levels
allowed by law, she added.
Saree noted that no brands had provided these facts to
consumers, therefore, she called on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to
enforce the regulation on nutrition facts labelling.
Thailand’s market for bubble milk tea value is estimated at
Bt2 billion a year, comprising both local and international brands.(TNA)
