Ex-Finance Minister Criticizes Sugar Export Crisis Impacting Farmers, Poor

Concerns have arisen over sugar policies and their impact on ordinary people, with accusations that recent sugar export practices benefited a small group of powerful sugar mill owners while harming farmers and consumers, as highlighted by former finance minister Miftah Ismail. He called for a transparent investigation into these policies, criticizing government officials for conflicts of interest and unfair practices in both sugar and electricity sectors. Meanwhile, scientific consensus challenges the vilification of High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), emphasizing that HFCS is similar to table sugar and that earlier hypotheses linking it uniquely to obesity have been reconsidered by researchers. Despite this, public perception of HFCS remains negative due to widespread media portrayal. Additionally, the popularity of sugary beverages like matcha lattes in the U.S. has grown rapidly, often diverging significantly from the traditional, less sweetened forms of matcha, contributing to increased sugar consumption under the guise of health trends. These developments underscore ongoing tensions between sugar consumption, public health narratives, and economic interests.