Councillor gets support in call for crackdown on excessive sugar

Balaclava Councillor Everton Fisher is urging the health ministry to take stronger action in regulating the production and consumption of sugar in food and beverages.

While acknowledging the efforts of Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton in encouraging the voluntary reformulation of sugar-laden products, Fisher believes more needs to be done to ensure that Jamaicans can lead healthier lives through the food they consume regularly.

“I’ve observed since the drive by the Ministry of Health widened, some [establishments] have lessened their sugar [content], ... but there are still a large [number] of persons who continue, Your Worship, to use too much sugar,” he said.

Speaking during last Thursday’s monthly sitting of the St Elizabeth Municipal Corporation, which coincided with World Diabetes Day, Fisher expressed his desire for the health ministry to explore other strategies that would further restaurants and manufacturers to reduce sugar content.

“When I send to get like a porridge at [a certain popular eatery], I’m alarmed by the sweetness of the porridge. I don’t know what can be done, but it’s a serious matter,” he said.

He emphasised the need for enhanced educational initiatives within the parish and for the local health department to play a role in shifting the population’s sugar consumption habits.

A NEED FOR COLLECTIVE ACTION

Mayor Richard Solomon endorsed Fisher’s appeal, stressing the importance of public education and the need for collective action as “a healthy nation is a productive nation”.

“As a health-conscious person, I totally agree with you,” he added, noting that some establishments offer the customer the option to add the amount of sugar to purchases such as teas themselves.

George Powell, councillor of the Lacovia division, who manufactures sugar and syrups, agreed that Jamaicans should cut back on their sugar consumption.

“You can buy your sugar, but you [can] use it in reduced amounts,” he said.

Powell said he no longer buys items like spice buns and ice cream because he believes they contain excessive amounts of sugar.

“I can’t see why dem can’t reduce the amount of sugar,” he added, further noting that the practice of using too much salt or sugar in households could be a generational habit that should be broken.

“So Chairman, let us be the one to break it,” he said, suggesting that councillors help to spread the message of eating healthier.

In response, the mayor expressed his wish to see Powell leading the initiative by reviewing the formulation of his own products.

For more than five years, Tufton has been imploring beverage manufacturers to rework formulas to reduce sugar content in their products.

The initiative is part of a broader national effort to tackle non-communicable diseases (NCDs), particularly after research highlighted the link between high sugar consumption, childhood obesity, and the development of NCDs later in life.

asha.wilks@gleanerjm.com