Sugary Drinks Tax Criticised by Food and Drink Industry

The report also suggested a ban on the advertising of foods high in saturated fat, sugar and salt before 9pm.

However, industry leaders have criticised the proposal, saying fizzy drinks account for just two percent of calories in an average diet.

Gavin Partington, director-general of the British Soft Drinks Association, said, “We share the recognition that obesity is a major public health priority but reject the idea that a tax on soft drinks is going to address a problem which is about overall diet and levels of activity.

“Over the last ten years, the consumption of soft drinks containing added sugar has fallen by nine percent while the incidence of obesity has been increasing, and 61% of soft drinks now contain no added sugar.

“Soft drinks companies are also committing to further, voluntary action as part of the Government’s Responsibility Deal Calorie Reduction Pledge. Don’t forget that there already is a 20% tax on soft drinks, with 10p out of every 60p can of drink already going to the Government thanks to VAT. Putting up taxes even further will put pressure on people’s purses at a time when they can ill afford it.”

Terry Jones, from the Food and Drink Federation (FDF), added, “FDF had hoped that the report would have looked seriously at how the food industry and the medical profession would have worked together to tackle obesity, and genuinely brought new insights to bear on how to empower healthier choices and change behaviour to deliver better long-term public health outcomes. This report fails to do that.”