KUALA LUMPUR, Oct. 1 -- Malaysia could introduce a new food labelling system giving packaged food and drinks nutrition grades from A to D by the end of this year, Health Ministry official Dr Yap Wei Aun has said.

Dr Yap, chief executive officer of the Health Ministry's Health Transformation Office, said prevention was a fundamental aspect of public health and cited the proposed labelling system as an example of the government's preventive health initiatives.

He said the labels could help nudge Malaysians towards healthier food choices without relying on individual willpower alone, while also encouraging the food and beverage industry to reformulate products to make them healthier.

"At the population level, I'm a little bit less convinc...