Saturday, November 21 2009

KC Confectionary “totally agrees” with the Health Ministry’s thrust to improve health by encouraging the promotion of healthy snacks. “We agree with Minister Narace in terms of healthy eating,” said KC sales manager Ashmeer Mohamed. He told Newsday that his company has been on its own drive to for the “healthy aspects of candy”.

The company has a ginger mint and Mohamed said there were homeopathic benefits to ginger for persons with light asthma, nausea and upset stomach. He said this product was “a big hit” in the US. KC has three-sugar free items on the market, a dinner mint, menthol drop and chewing gum which are made with Splenda – an artificial sweetener.

Mohamed said these products catered for diabetics and more items will be added to the sugar free line.

However, for those who can consume sugar products he said sugar had benefits. “It is not stored in the body and goes directly into the blood stream, sucrose has benefits.”

Mohamed did not think the Ministry’s thrust will affect business. The Diabetes association of TT (DATT) said it was satisfied with the Ministry’s plan to address sugar consumption “as it relates and contributes to diabetes in our country”.