"A crowd of customers, holding phones aloft, watch intently as Auntie Nid mixes up her bestseller: an iced Thai tea. Condensed milk is poured into a glass, followed by three heaped tablespoons of sugar, and then freshly strained tea. The end product a deep orange, creamy treat is poured into a plastic bag filled with ice. I want to spoil my customers, says Auntie Nid, 68, who prefers to be known by her nickname."
"This month, nine of the country's major coffee chains committed to halving the amount of sugar that is considered normal sweetness in some of their drinks as part of a new campaign to reset people's taste buds and improve public health. Thai people consume an average of 21 teaspoons of sugar a day far more than the World Health Organization's recommended daily limit of six teaspoons."
"Thailand has taken other steps to tackle sugar, including a sugar tax, which was introduced gradually from 2017, with the last phase rolled out last year. This targets pre-packaged sugary drinks. The tax has helped, said Pojjana Hunchangsith, assistant professor at Mahidol University. One of the biggest impacts has been product reformulation, with many manufacturers lowering sugar levels to avoid higher tax rate, she said."
A crowd watches Auntie Nid prepare an iced Thai tea with condensed milk, three heaped tablespoons of sugar, freshly strained tea, and ice. Nine major coffee chains committed to halving customary sugar levels in some drinks to reset taste preferences and improve public health. Thai people consume about 21 teaspoons of sugar daily, well above the World Health Organization's six-teaspoon recommendation. Sugary beverages account for a large share of that intake. Thailand introduced a sugar tax on pre-packaged sugary drinks beginning in 2017, prompting many manufacturers to reformulate products to avoid higher rates. The tax does not cover street vendors or cafes, where freshly made sweet drinks remain hard to regulate.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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