Sugar taxes in Boulder, Colorado; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Oakland, California; San Francisco, California; and Seattle, Washington were associated with a 33% reduction in purchases by volume, according to a study published this month.
A tiered sugar tax - one that incentivises brands to reduce sugar content - would be the most effective way of taxing sugar-sweetened beverages in Germany, according to a new study published this week.
The sugar tax as implemented in the Philippines will lead to health and economic improvements, but to a lesser extent that if it had been enacted in its original form, new data suggests.
Rubicon says that healthier, cleaner products, and localized flavours are driving beverage growth in the UAE as it seeks to stand out in ‘a very demanding market with well-travelled consumers.’
Residents in Oakland, California have bought fewer sugary beverages since a local soda tax went into effect, says a study from UC San Francisco. The study also found savings in health care costs and compared them to other public health policies.
It sounds like it’s going to be a familiar story: health campaigners want a sugar tax, the beverage industry doesn’t. But in South Africa there’s an additional dynamic: a massive sugar-growing industry that’s already facing huge challenges. Acknowledging...
Additional strategies beyond a soft drinks levy will be needed to reduce obesity, particularly in older boys and younger children, according to new Cambridge University research that some have called ‘speculative’.
Beverage giant Suntory believes that a focus on ‘forward-looking’ sugar reduction will remain crucial for firms to overcome the risk of sugar taxes and achieve significant, long-term growth in the region over the coming few years.
Redirecting existing sugar cropland to ethanol production can yield significant greenhouse gas emission savings, according to fresh research out of Barcelona.
With just 19% of countries in the WHO European Region having introduced SSB taxes, a new study has sought to identify what works and what doesn’t – to encourage effective implementation.
Drawing on two new studies of Seattle’s soda tax, researchers from the University of Illinois Chicago say such taxes have a large, sustained impact on reducing volume and grams of sugar sold.
The UK’s Soft Drinks Industry Levy is responsible for a reduction in intake of nearly 6,500 calories from soft drinks per annum per UK resident, according to a new study. And the authors say much of the reduction came from manufacturers’ reformulation...
Fresh research suggests high consumption of sugar sweetened beverages is associated with a higher risk of early-onset colon colorectal cancer in women.
South Africa has seen large reductions in purchases of sugary beverage volumes since the country’s sugar tax was announced in 2016, according to a new study published this month.
Researchers in Thailand have called for the government to pursue more aggressive public health policies in addition to imposing sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxes in the country after an advanced simulation model revealed that this would have little...
Sugar taxation has remained the most effective for of food taxation when it comes to reducing diet-related diseases as compared to taxes on salt, saturated fat and junk food, according to a recent New Zealand study.
Indonesia might be taking a novel approach to implementing a sugar tax: if a proposal in front of parliament goes ahead, it will lump an additional levy on soft drinks in with environmental protection measures to fill a gaping hole in public finances.
Carbonated beverages sweetened with sugar, natural or artificial sweeteners will be taxed in British Columbia under the Provincial Sales Tax Act as of July this year.
Many APAC governments have explored sugar taxes to some extent over the past few years, but experts now say that although on the surface these appear to have been effective in driving reformulation, consumer behaviour and not taxation is likely to be...
An Oxford University study has found the total amount of sugar sold in soft drinks in the UK dropped by 29% between 2015-2018. “Sustained pressure on business, including fiscal measures, has led to a striking reduction,” say the researchers.
By Rachel Arthur, Elaine Watson, Niamh Michail, Gary Scattergood, Flora Southey
Sugar taxes continue to hit the headlines, so we take a spin around the globe to look at some of the markets where taxes have been introduced or are under debate.
With trendy plant-based alternatives such as soy milk or almond milk, consumers often find a health halo around indulgent coffee shop drinks. But festive favourites such as hot chocolate and sweetly-spiced lattes contain ‘huge’ amounts of sugar, says...
England’s outgoing Chief Medical Officer says the Soft Drinks Industry Levy has been successful in reducing sugar in children’s drinks: and is calling for the levy to be extended to milk-based drinks.
Public Health England’s latest progress report on the food and drink industry’s sugar cutting efforts reveal significant changes in areas where the sugar tax applies, but a disappointing lack of progress with the voluntary sugar reduction programme.
Taxing high sugar snacks – such as sweets, cakes and biscuits – may be more effective at reducing obesity than taxing sugary drinks, according to a new study published in the BMJ.
Japanese F&B giant Suntory has recently revealed its performance in the South East Asian to be stronger than other foreign markets, but also expressed caution over continued growth in the region due to sugar tax implementations.
UK sugar tax has removed 45,000 tonnes of sugar from shelves, says government
The UK government is considering extending its sugar tax to milk drinks: with the announcement made just before the confirmation of Boris Johnson – who has pledged a review of ‘nanny state sin taxes’ – as the country's next Prime Minister.
Australians’ growing appetite for the regulation of sugary drinks means the time is sweet for governments to tackle their consumption, say public health researchers.
Mexico’s sugar tax is hitting poor people, increasing inequality and failing to tackle obesity, says the country’s soft drink group ANPRAC – but a recent academic paper suggests even regressive sugar taxes are still “socially desirable”.
Malaysia has implemented its sugar tax targeting sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in the country, which has led major beverage companies to reformulate products in an attempt to curb its impact – but is this enough to meet the government’s goal of combatting...
Latin American and Caribbean countries are the biggest consumers of sugar-sweetened beverages and fruit juices in the world, according to a recent study.
The amount of sugar- and artificially sweetened beverages sold in Philadelphia dropped by half during the first year in which the city’s controversial tax on the beverages was in effect, according to a study published earlier this month in JAMA.
By Jack Winkler, Emeritus Professor of Nutrition Policy, London Metropolitan University; and Tam Fry, chair, National Obesity Forum
A historic change in the sales of carbonated soft drinks has taken place since the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) came into force a year ago -- with sugarfree drinks rising, and full sugar products falling.
A new study has found no direct link between the consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks and elevated BMI in children, prompting authors to question the effectiveness of the UK’s single-nutrient tax approach.
Soft drinks major thinks healthier drinks is better strategy than price rises
The grand old man of soft drinks in Southeast Asia is facing a year fraught with challenges, but the way it has been preparing for a new sugar tax stands it in good stead for its implementation later this year.
Malaysia has announced the postponement of its sugar tax implementation date by three months, as well as an increase in the sugar content limit for milk-based beverages.
Barbados' tax on sugary drinks has been effective in reducing sales of sugar-sweetened beverages - however the ad valorum tax may also encourage shoppers to switch to cheaper - and possibly more sugary - brands, researchers have suggested.
As Singapore winds up its public consultation on sugar tax, the majority of participants have demanded sugar-reduction methods that extend more broadly across the industry beyond just targeting sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs).
As the debate surrounding the possibility of a sugar tax in New Zealand intensifies, industry groups stand firmly against it, whereas some academics and consumers are gunning for it. Here we provide the lowdown on the current state of the debate.
By Rachel Arthur, Elaine Watson, Stephen Daniells, Gary Scattergood, Niamh Michail
Sugar taxes continue to hit the headlines, but the introduction of new legislation is never straight-forward. We take a look at 20 countries around the globe where sugar taxes have been in the news.
Sri Lanka has been accused of backtracked on its fight against diabetes after implementing a 40% reduction in its sugar tax, amidst public outcry describing the move as ‘insane’ and ‘racing backwards’.
The Ministry of Health Singapore (MOH) is considering multiple measures to reduce Singaporeans' sugar intake from sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), including the introduction of a sugar tax and a complete higher-sugar drinks ban.
Fraser and Neave (F&N) Holdings Bhd is looking at a possible price increase for 90% of its beverages, following Malaysia’s sugar-sweetened beverage tax announcement.
Food manufacturers in Malaysia, including Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, have responded to the upcoming 2019 introduction of sugar taxes on drinks and juice ‘with concern’, saying that this is ‘not an effective policy response’ to combat obesity and chronic disease.
Malaysia will impose an excise sugar tax on sugar-sweetened beverages starting April 1 2019, in an effort to combat rising overweight and obesity levels in the country - but experts are less than optimistic about its efficacy.
Fiscal incentives like a sugar tax and lower-sugar subsidies to reduce sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption are unlikely to be effective, a new Singapore study reveals.
