UK extends soft drink tax to sugary milk-based drinks

In a move to protect children and improve their health, the United Kingdom has extended the soft drink tax to sugary milk-based drinks.

London: In a move to protect children and improve their health, the United Kingdom has extended the soft drink tax to sugary milk-based drinks.

"Children will have a healthier start to life after the government announces an extension of the soft drinks levy to more high-sugar drinks, making it easier for families to buy less sugary products", the UK Department of Health and Social Care said.

"Changes will apply the charge to pre-packaged milk-based and milk-alternative drinks with added sugar like supermarket milkshakes, flavoured milks, sweetened yoghurt drinks, chocolate milk drinks and ready-to-drink coffees", the UK Health Department added.

Many of these products can contain as much added sugar as fizzy drinks, where much of that sugar is added separately to the milk, but were previously exempt from the levy, which so far has seen the average sugar content of drinks in scope fall almost 50% since it was introduced.

"Plain, unsweetened milk and milk-alternative drinks are not and will not be included", the department said.

"Mission to raise the healthiest generation of children"

Hailing the move, Health and Social Care Secretary Wesley Paul William Streeting said the government's aim is to raise the healthiest generation of children.

"An unhealthy start to life holds kids back from day one, especially those from poor backgrounds like mine. We’re on a mission to raise the healthiest generation of children ever, and that means taking on the biggest drivers of poor health. The levy has already shown that when industry cuts sugar levels, children’s health improves. So, we’re going further", he said.

"A healthier nation will mean less pressure on our NHS, a healthier economy and a happier society. It’s a simple change that is part of this government’s mission to give every child a healthy start to life", he added.

The department has lowered threshold from 5g to 4.5g of sugar per 100ml. The UK Health Department has urged the manufacturers to reduce sugar in their drinks by January 01, 2028.

High sugar intake impact on children

High sugar intake puts children at greater risk of dental decay and obesity - and obese adults are at risk of long-term health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.

Tooth decay outpaces other common childhood conditions, including acute tonsillitis, as the leading cause of hospital admissions among 5 to 9 year olds in England.

The new plans are expected to reduce daily calorie intake by around 4 million in children and 13 million in adults across England. This could prevent almost 14,000 cases of adult obesity and nearly 1,000 cases of childhood obesity.

The Soft Drinks Industry Levy applies to pre-packaged drinks with added sugar, and with more than 5g of total sugar per 100ml. This will fall to 4.5g per 100ml. Drinks containing between 4.5g and 7.9g per 100ml will continue to fall into the lower levy band. The current rate for this band is £1.94 per 10 litres (19.4p per litre).

Drinks above 8g per 100ml will remain in the higher levy band. The current rate for this band is 2.59 per 10 litres (25.p per litre). "This doesn’t apply to open top drinks in cafes/restaurants", the department said.

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