Sugar Content in Formula Milk

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Mr Yee Chia Hsing
MP for Chua Chu Kang GRC 

Question No. 629

To ask the Minister for Health whether the Ministry currently monitors or regulates the amount of sugar in infant and children's formula milk so as to prevent an excessive preference for sweetness in later years.

Written Answer

1        Based on a recent survey by the Health Promotion Board (HPB), none of the infant formula milk for children zero to 12 months contained any added sugar.  As for children’s formula milk for one year and above, two products contained added sugar of around 2g per 100ml of milk.  Another product, a high-calorie formula for supplemental nutrition, contained 7g of added sugar per 100ml of milk. 

2        HPB recommends that children aged one year and above can take full cream milk, if they are eating and growing well.  HPB further recommends that parents planning to give their children high-calorie formula milk as a nutritional supplement should consult their child’s paediatrician or nutritionist.