Cost of healthy food must be addressed

From

Oscar Lee Shing Kian

There is a paradox regarding the cost of food today (Reduce prices of healthy food, drink options; Aug 22).

Wholemeal bread, which uses unrefined ingredients, costs more than white bread, which uses refined wheat flour; brown rice is dearer than polished white rice; packet drinks with less sugar cost more than those with more sugar; the list goes on.

So the less processing or fewer ingredients required or the healthier the food, the more we are charged. One argument is that because we consume more white rice, white bread, et cetera, these foods enjoy economies of scale.

In that case, we must turn this around and consume more of the healthier foods for greater economies of scale in these foods.

Alternatively, if the cost of producing healthier food is lower, then this seems to suggest that our health is being held to ransom — pay more to eat healthily.

Either way, led by the relevant authorities and organisations, Singapore should find ways to stop producers and marketers from making healthy food more expensive, so that we can increase the consumption and economies of scale, for citizens’ well-being.

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