Youth on Low-Sugar: Trick or Treat?

“I do not consume confectionaries or dessert at all,” said Calley Chai, 21, “This is my fourth year making this effort.” How could one commit to such dietary restrictions? Well, truth be told, she got scared after watching a video on the dangers of sugar, especially on weight gain.

Calley migrated to Perth, Australia in 2019

“I used to eat very sweet items … everyday,” continued Calley about her 17 years of lifestyle in Malaysia. The health-conscious youth reduced her sugar intake by limiting it to weekends, then fortnights, and eventually cutting it off.

Calley thinks that the low-sugar market in Malaysia is presumably smaller than in Australia. Either way, she does not actively seek out low-sugar products. “I think low-sugar is just as bad as regular sugar,” she said, and added that it is best if a product is completely sugarless.

Recently, an article by the New Straits Times reported that products containing aspartame are often marketed as sugar-free. The artificial sweetener has been linked to cognitive and behavioural problems. It refers to a study in the journal Nutritional Neuroscience which found learning problems, headaches, migraines, seizures, irritable moods, anxiety, depression and insomnia.

Bhathiya Ralapanawa, a Taylor's student, has a similar view as Calley. He is pretty sure that many products with sugar substitutes do no good.

“It is more unhealthy because it is just added with a bunch of chemicals,” he mentioned. He explained that the products he consumed, such as ice cream, tasted “off”.

Bhathiya acknowledges stevia as a natural sugar substitute

“We eat sugar like it is nothing,” Bhathiya shrugged. The 18-year-old thinks that he will eventually worry about his health, but it tastes too good to stop. He admitted the lack of low-sugar awareness among the Malaysian youth.

The National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019 reports that 3.9 million Malaysian adults aged 18 and above suffer from diabetes. Over 7.5 million more Malaysians are at risk of developing diabetes in the near future. Free Malaysia Today reports that Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa spoke about a strategic plan to tackle excess consumption of more than 50 gm of sugar per day. The programme with ‘multi-sectoral action’ will be in effect until 2025, though further details have yet to be disclosed.

Apart from that, the Ministry is encouraging food service outlets and beverage manufacturers to reduce sugar content. There are still doubts about low-sugar products, yet more businesses in the food and beverage industry have begun to specialise in developing them using natural ingredients.

Chen Cher Hao (Fufu), another Taylorian, founded Low Sugar Lab with a team in 2022. Due to his family background of health and wellness business, the then 21-year-old decided to specialise in the low-sugar market. “Our purpose is actually to spread the knowledge of low-sugar in Malaysia.” He stated that low-sugar is more common in Western countries, supporting Calley’s views.

Many people might think that low-sugar products are not sweet, so “What’s the point of having a dessert if it is not sweet?” he questioned. Low Sugar Lab has a myth-busting mission that pastries with low-sugar intake can be as sweet. The team aims to promote a low-sugar lifestyle where people can enjoy pastries without worrying much about health concerns.

The private company claims to be the first and only low-sugar bakery in Malaysia. Former Member of Parliament Charles Santiago was the guest of honour for their grand opening in Klang. The bakery opened its first branch at Central I-City Mall.

Fufu who prefers to go by ‘Executive Marketing Manager’ shared the usage of sugar cane extract as a substitute for sugar in their products and said that, “It is very sweet and it is using the FCF, Flavour Carrying Functionality.” He expressed gratitude towards a partner, SuCaLess who supplies them with the low-sugar. With products of 80 percent less sugar, their sweetness can be higher than other sugary products in the market, with a lower GI level.

Fufu introduces SuCatless

The young entrepreneur observed that most of their customers are female millennials, and fewer youth. Their demand was initially not that great. However, as they began to market their products, they discovered that quite a lot of young people would prefer to consume products with low or no sugar.