Sugar Content in Formula Milk

Mr Yee Chia Hsing asked 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.

Mr Gan Kim Yong: Based on a recent survey by the Health Promotion Board (HPB), none of the infant formula milk for children 0 to 12 months contained any added sugar. As for children's formula milk for 1 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.

HPB recommends that children aged 1 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.