1. Individual and total sugar contents of street foods in Malaysia – Should we be concerned?
- Author
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Zainal Arifen, Zainorain Natasha, Shahar, Suzana, Trieu, Kathy, Abdul Majid, Hazreen, Md Noh, Mohd Fairulnizal, and Haron, Hasnah
- Subjects
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SUGAR content of food , *STREET food , *MALTOSE , *LOCAL foods , *SUCROSE - Abstract
Street foods are often of poor nutritional quality with high sugar content, in which the overconsumption of sugar is associated with obesity. However, sugar content information on local street foods is scarce. Thus, the individual and total sugar contents of 94 types of street foods in Malaysia were analysed. Compared to snacks and main meals, desserts contained the highest amounts of sugar, sucrose, fructose, glucose, and maltose. Sucrose was predominant in 90% desserts, 79.3% snacks, and 68.6% main meals. Most desserts (93.3%) contained medium to high sugar content (≥5 g to >15 g/100 g), while 82.9% main meals and 65.5% snacks had low sugar content. When comparing the sugar contents of 39 foods with other local databases, 58.3% main meals, 55.6% desserts, and 33.3% snacks contained either significantly (p < 0.05) higher or lower sugar contents. Consumers can identify low and high-sugar foods, and policymakers can review health priorities to combat obesity. • Individual and total sugar contents in main meals, desserts, and snacks. • Most desserts contained medium to high sugar, predominantly contributed by sucrose. • Most main meals and snacks contained low sugar, and mostly contributed by sucrose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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