Soft Drinks

Pic:iStock/PPrat

Can a soda tax discourage ‘go large’?

By Rachel Arthur

Discouraging the sale of ‘jumbo sized’ sugary drinks would have both economic and health benefits, according to a UK study led by the University of East Anglia. Policy interventions – such as soda taxes and portion cap rules – must be carefully designed...

Tesco started its efforts to reduce sugar in soft drinks in 2011. Pic:iStock/bogdandreava

Tesco reduces sugar in own brand soft drinks

By Rachel Arthur

UK supermarket giant Tesco has reduced the sugar content in its own brand soft drink portfolio, with the reformulated beverages hitting the shelves this week. 

UK sugar tax consultation launched

UK sugar tax: Government unveils plans and consultation

By Rachel Arthur

The UK government has confirmed details of its plans for a tax on sugar sweetened beverages, launching a consultation on the levy along with its long-awaited childhood obesity strategy today. 

The soft drinks sugar tax could cost Coca-Cola £226M a year

Coca-Cola could face £226M sugar tax

By Gwen Ridler

The Coca-Cola Company could face a bill as high as £226M a year under the sugar tax, if it doesn’t pass on the increased charge for its sugary drinks to consumers, according to market research firm Euromonitor.

The sugar tax poses more questions than answers said Dominic Watkins

Sugar tax is destined to fail, claims legal expert

By Noli Dinkovski

The proposed sugar tax on soft drinks is likely to fail in its intended aim of reducing calorie intake as consumers will simply trade down to cheaper, own-label variants, a leading legal food specialist has claimed.

A.G. Barr says that two-thirds of its portfolio will escape a sugar tax. Pic: iStock

A.G. Barr shrugs off sugar tax worries

By Rachel Arthur

Soft drinks company A.G. Barr says a combination of brand strength and ongoing product reformulation will minimize the financial impact of the UK’s sugar tax on its business.

The announcement of a levy has come as a surprise to many. Pic: iStock

UK sugar tax on soft drinks: The industry's reaction

By Rachel Arthur

The UK government has announced a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages. But the industry has slammed the levy, saying soft drinks have been ‘singled out’ despite manufacturers’ existing efforts to reduce calories.  

Taxing question: should hospital staff and visitors could face a sugar tax on vended food and drink?

NHS sugar tax proposals are panned

By Noli Dinkovski

Plans by the National Health Service (NHS) to introduce a sugar tax on food and drink sold in its hospitals has been heavily criticised by industry trade bodies.

The sugar tax conundrum currently playing out in Asian markets

The sugar tax conundrum currently playing out in Asian markets

By RJ Whitehead

With various emerging Asian markets now considering legislation or tighter regulation of sugar in soft drinks, one of the key issues of the regional beverage industry in 2016 might well be diminishing volume growth due to higher taxation, according to...

Soft drinks seeing surge in young Australian consumption

This week Down Under

Soft drinks seeing surge in young Australian consumption

By RJ Whitehead

Good news for Coca-Cola Amatil. The bottler and distributor might have posted its lowest profit in eight years, but research figures suggest that consumption of soft drinks is increasing in a key segment of the Australian population.

Soda tax could cost 120,000 Indonesian jobs

Dateline Southeast Asia

Soda tax could cost 120,000 Indonesian jobs

By RJ Whitehead

Sweetened drinks shouldn’t even be subject to excise duty, never mind an elevated sugar tax, according to the Indonesian drinks industry.

Junk food dominates marketing landscape in Scotland: study

Junk food dominates marketing landscape in Scotland: study

By David Burrows

Nearly three quarters of the food and drink marketing seen by children in Scotland is for junk food, according to new research that the Scottish Government will use to push for stricter UK-wide advertising rules.

Fruit Shoot is one of Britvic's brands

Britvic’s £114M Brazilian buyout to double earnings

By Nicholas Robinson

Britvic’s £114M buyout of the Brazilian soft drinks firm Ebba will provide a significant boost to turnover, the manufacturer announced after revealing third quarter (Q3) revenues up by just 1% to £322.3M.

The future’s fizzing: Carbonates have proved their resilience, says BSDA

Special edition: Fizzing Up carbonates

The future’s fizzing: Carbonates have proved their resilience, says BSDA

By Rachel Arthur

The carbonates market appears to be full of doom and gloom: falling consumption in 2014 and a continued backlash against sugar. But with 3% growth in the UK for the first quarter of 2015, the British Soft Drinks Association (BSDA) says this proves the...

Stella Artois announces Ascot Racecourse sponsorship deal

Beverage Bites: news up to april 30, 2015

Bud Light’s bottles backfire, Stella Artois and Ascot, and more beverage bites

By Rachel Arthur

This week Bud Light’s marketing campaign attracted plenty of criticism, while South Korea considered banning young celebrities from alcohol ads. Meanwhile, Stella Artois’ sponsorships are galloping ahead… read on for more nuggets of news in our Beverage...

Erythritol is already approved for use in foods and drinks in more than 60 countries - but approval for beverages has taken some time in Europe because of concerns of a laxative effect

EFSA backs erythritol for use in soft drinks

By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has said erythritol is safe for use in soft drinks at a maximum level of 1.6%, bringing the zero-calorie sweetener a step closer to EU approval for beverages.

Niche, categories, beverages, HPP juices, craft beer

Dispatches from The Packaging Conference

Niche categories bring the action in beverages

By Heidi Parsons

In the beverage industry, niche categories are outperforming the rest of the market, wine and spirits are on the upswing, and beer has rebounded slightly, mainly thanks to craft beer’s cachet. 

Baked goods are a top source of curcumin for European children

EFSA reassesses European curcumin exposure levels

By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has reassessed exposure to curcumin and found consumption is lower than previously thought – although some children consume close to the acceptable daily intake (ADI).

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