Coke healthier than Milo? Nestle says Milo's Nutri-Grade wrong after woman spots labels at vending machine

[UPDATED March 24]

All Milo products distributed by Nestle Singapore, whether in powder or ready-to-drink forms, qualify as Nutri-Grade B, said the company. 

"They contain less than 5g of added sugars and less than 1.2g of saturated fat per recommended portion. They are all also "Healthier Choice" certified," Nestle Singapore told AsiaOne. 

"We are in the process of adapting our labels to add this valuable information that will support increased transparency on the nutritional content of all our products."

The company added that the Nutri-Grade information displayed in the vending machine in the TikTok video is inaccurate and they are reaching out to the parties involved to clarify.

Milo or Coca-Cola? 

One is a regular breakfast staple for kids while the other has been consistently ranked as the top soft drink brand worldwide.

At first glance, the former seems like a healthier option.

So, you can imagine how TikTok user Almightyalicia felt upon discovering that a can of Coke from a vending machine under her HDB block is graded under Nutri-Grade B while Nestle Milo original was graded D. 

[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@almightyalicia/video/7212866533591141639 [/embed]

In her TikTok post on March 21, Almightyalicia said: "I want to live in my delusion, please HPB (Health Promotion Board) don't expose the truth because it hurts."

AsiaOne has reached out to Almightyalicia for comment. 

Like Almightyalicia, many Singaporeans were equally surprised to see Milo graded D under Nutri-Grade.

However, this is not the first time that 'healthier' drinks, including fruit juices that should have earned a better grade, appear to be marked a higher Nutri-Grade than soft drinks.

Why is that so?

Nutri-Grade marks beverages as “A”, “B”, “C” or “D” according to their sugar and saturated fat content, and hence drinks such as F&N Magnolia Fresh Milk would get a C rating due its high saturated fat content despite having zero added sugar, reported CNA earlier this month. 

Based on the HPB Nutri-Grade system, NTUC FairPrice sells Coke and Nestle Milo's original full sugar as Nutri-Grade D. 

In addition to the original, one can also find a range of Milo products graded from B to D.

The Nutri-Grade label is an initiative by the Ministry of Health to encourage Singaporeans to make healthier choices. 

However, many netizens shared that they'll still stick to Milo if it's Nutri-Grade D.

Vitagen taunts Yakult over D Nutri-Grade rating

A social media post by Vitagen on Feb 21 ignited a storm when it claimed that "unlike other Nutri-Grade D cultured milk, Vitagen Less Sugar contains 8x Less White Sugar and no added intense sweeteners".

While the post didn't name names, netizens were quick to recognise that Vitagen was taking a shot at its rival Yakult.

Yakult has been labelled a D in the Nutri-Grade system with 14% sugar. 

Hence, it seems that the debate over taste or health will never end.

This article has been edited for clarity.

ashwini.balan@asiaone.com

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