Drinking Less Sugar but Adding Boba? Health Minister Reveals Facts on Hidden Sugar

The habit of ordering sweet drinks labelled “less sugar” is often considered healthier, but in fact, this is not always the case. Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin has reminded that adding toppings like boba can actually keep the sugar content high. Through a post on his personal Instagram account @bgsadikin on Saturday (25/4/2026), he highlighted this habit that is often taken lightly. The message serves as a reminder that small choices in daily drinks can have a significant impact on the body’s sugar intake. “#BGS reminds that ordering milk tea less sugar but adding boba is the same as lying because the sugar is still high,” he wrote in the post. He emphasised that even though it is called a topping, the addition of boba still provides a significant contribution to the total sugar in the drink. This condition makes the drink, which was initially considered healthier, remain high in sugar. According to him, a drink that was originally at Nutri Level B can rise to level D just because of the addition of toppings. “It looks small and is called a topping, but actually adding boba can raise it from Nutri Level B to D,” he wrote. This change shows that toppings are not just complements, but directly affect nutritional quality. In other words, additions like boba are not included in the initial calculation of sugar content. “The Ministry of Health regulation that I just issued only calculates the sugar content in the liquid, not in the boba,” he explained.