Boba, also known as bubble tea, is a popular drink in Hawaiʻi and around the Asia Pacific. But in one Southeast Asian country, bubble tea is facing a new and unusual challenge.
The drink, originally from Taiwan, is about to face a new labeling law in Singapore — and the issue is sugar.
Not to burst any bubbles, but boba beverages broadly bristle with sugar and Singapore's Health Ministry said it's time consumers know exactly how much.
By Dec. 30, all freshly prepared drinks sold in Singapore have to carry what’s known as a “Nutri-Grade label.”
Among other items, the labels must include sugar content.
The sugar level will also determine a color-coded letter grade —with consequences. Drinks with the highest level of sugar content get the lowest grade, a "D," and that means suppliers are not allowed to advertise them.
The Straits Times reported a number of boba tea sellers are currently testing reformulations of their drinks to at least avoid that "D" grade.
But others are resigned to getting a bad grade. As one beverage company CEO told the news outlet, “There are two kinds of people. Some are very serious about their nutrition and would not even come to a bubble tea store.”
But, he said, “If you have bubble tea, you already know that it’s an indulgence.”
