Food and beverage companies encouraged to use Healthier Choice Logo to promote awareness

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SHAH ALAM: More food and beverage manufacturing companies are recommended to apply for the Healthier Choice Logo (HCL) to raise awareness among consumers on a healthier choice of food and drinks.

Deputy Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya said the use of the logo would help and facilitate consumers in identifying more healthy products compared to other products in the same category.

In addition, he said, the HCL facilitated the consumers in making a smarter choice by merely looking at the front label of the food and beverage packages.

“Today, 18 companies with 42 products received HCL recognition and we hope more industries will be involved in providing an environment that supports healthy nutritional practices,” he said at a media conference after the HCL launching ceremony, here yesterday.

Also present were Deputy Director-General of Health (Public Health) Datuk Dr Lokman Hakim Sulaiman and Assistant General-Manager of Wellness Business Aeon Co. (M) Bhd Tsunanori Sato.

HCL is a government initiative in collaboration with the food and beverage industry under the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers.

Commenting further, Dr Hilmi said the HCL was given to food and beverage companies that fulfilled the nutrient criteria specified by the ministry.

He said applications to obtain the HCL could be submitted to the Food Division of the ministry and the application process was free of charge.

“The Ministry is also developing an online system for the application of HCL which is expected to be operational in September,” he said. — Bernama