PETALING JAYA: A practical and gradual approach should be adopted for any potential extension of the Nutri-Grade labelling system to restaurant menus and food delivery platforms, according to restaurant and coffee shop operators.
Industry stakeholders said that implementing the Nutri-Grade system in restaurants must consider the challenges faced by smaller eateries, which may struggle with the additional costs and training required for proper implementation.
Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association (Presma) president, Datuk Mohammed Mosin, said that while he would support such an initiative to encourage healthier eating habits among Malaysians, he cautioned that the policy should be introduced slowly.
“Such a policy must be implemented with care and practicality, as the food service sector operates under very different circumstances compared to packaged food and beverage manufacturers.
“Small and medium-sized Indian Muslim restaurants may struggle with the additional costs, expertise and time required to calculate accurate nutritional information,” he said,
Mohammed Mosin proposed a phased rollout, starting with large chain restaurants and major food delivery services that already use standardised recipes and digital ordering systems.
“Smaller and independent eateries could then be included later with government support such as calculators to help estimate sugar and calorie content.”
He said the government must also work on improving public education to ensure Malaysians understand how to use the Nutri-Grade information.
He also warned that the system might create unfair perceptions of traditional dishes that could receive low ratings, potentially damaging the reputation of our traditional cuisine.
Malaysian Indian Restaurant Owners’ Association (Primas) president Govindasamy Jayabalan said the rollout of such a system for restaurants should begin with voluntary labelling.
“Clear guidelines while working with restaurant associations like Primas will also ensure smoother implementation.
“Restaurants must also be given time and guidance on how to adjust their recipes to make them healthier so they can rebuild customer trust.”
Meanwhile, Petaling Jaya Coffeeshop Association president, Keu Kok Meng, said that applying the same labelling system to freshly prepared drinks and food would be nearly impossible to enforce consistently across all restaurants.
“Each cup may be different in sugar content each time based on the customer’s preference, so it won’t be possible to slap a general nutritional label on the menu.
“How am I supposed to grade my coffee or tea? There’s no ready-made version with sugar already added,” he said.
Keu proposed a simple, standardised grading system to indicate the sweetness levels of freshly prepared drinks at eateries, with Grade A for no or very little sugar, increasing to Grade D for very sweet.
“Then customers can easily order drinks with a grade based on what level of sweetness they want.”
The proposal comes as Malaysia grapples with one of the highest diabetes rates in the world, currently ranking 13th globally in terms of prevalence.
