Latest updates from around the world
The ‘Latest updates from around the world’ section of the website reviews the on-going food and beverage tax debate from all angles. In the sections linked below you can find reviews and links to articles in the media, academic research by leading experts and the views of decision-makers from around Europe contributing to the debate on food and beverage taxation.
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Soda tax in Washington D.C. is a bad idea, argues professor from George Washington University
In an opinion piece, David Brunori, research professor of public policy at the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration at George Washington University, argues that introducing a...
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Report on soda tax inconclusive, says professor in The Hill
David Ketchen, professor in the Raymond J. Harbert College of Business at Auburn University, in an opinion published on the US media outlet The Hill, reports on a new study from the University of Berk...
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US researchers conclude going only for current “sugar taxes unlikely to produce the reduction required on obesity”
Analysing the effects of the UK and Mexican soft drinks levies, U.S. researchers conclude in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that while the tax led to reduce obesity. They argue taxes on...
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UK sugar tax not having positive health effects, argues UK journalist
In her latest piece in the Spectator, Kate Andrews argues the UK taxes on soft drinks have not had positive effect on health. She underlines that "we’ve seen an overall decrease in consumption ,...
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Institute of Economic Affairs study confirms food taxes are regressive
In a report from June 2018, All, Christopher Snowdon addressed the argument for “progressive regressivity” promoted by a number of advocates of food taxes. The report argues that the regressivity...
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“There is little evidence to demonstrate that a tax on soft drinks actually tackles obesity”, experts say
While the UK is implementing its tax on soft drinks, experts provide their insights on the broader context and trends on sugar reduction in the UK. Anna Masing, from Stylus, underlines that we are...
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Lithuanian government opts for reformulation rather than taxation
At the end of January 2018, the Lithuanian Health Minister Aurelijus Veryga announced the country would not introduce a tax on sugar but will work with food producers to reduce sugar, salt and fat thr...
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New Zealand Health Ministry reports finds that evidence of sugar taxes improving health is weak
On 30 January 2018, a report from Peter Wilson and Sarah Hogan, commissioned by the Ministry of Health of New Zealand to review the evidence around the efficiency of sugar taxes. It concluded that evi...
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2018 JAMA issue on obesity calls for “reimagining” health prevention policies
Last week, the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA), published a dedicated issue on obesity: it included a broad range of articles including one on taxing sugar sweetened beverages. In th...
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Philadelphia’s beverage tax: the damaging economic impact
Starting in January 2017, the city of Philadelphia became only the second municipality in the US to impose a tax on sweetened beverages (SBs). Unusually for such taxes, the Philadelphia Beverage Tax (...
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French soda tax: Le Figaro columnist argues against “Nanny State measures”
As the French Parliament is currently debating whether to reshape and increase the tax on soft drinks, an opinion piece published on 9 November in the French newspaper Le Figaro warns readers about th...
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Reformulation rather than taxation: Euractiv reports on solutions proposed by soft drinks industry to contribute to tackling obesity
On 23 June, as part of a special report on regulating consumers, the EU media outlet Euractiv reported on the current debate in Europe and across national markets on how government can encourage consu...
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U.S. study shows that a 10% subsidy for fruits and vegetables would be more efficient than a soft drinks tax
A American study published in June 2017 in PLOS Medicine, Reducing US cardiovascular disease burden and disparities through national and targeted dietary policies: A modelling study, compared differen...
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Philadelphia Beverage Tax Shortfall
For the first time since the introduction of Philadelphia's 1.5 cents-per-ounce tax on soda and other sweetened drinks 3 months ago, city officials are already lowering their revenue projection as the...
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Unintended Consequences: The Economic Impact of the Sugar Tax on Small Stores and Bakeries in Mexico
(originally published on 4 January 2017, The Diplomatic Courier) The Diplomatic Courier published an article on economic impacts of the sugar tax on small businesses in Mexico on 4 January 2017. The...
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Soda Down in Mexico, Obesity Not So Much
(originally published on 16 December 2016, ConscienHealth) The ConscienHealth published an article on the actual results of the sugar tax in Mexico on 16 December 2016. The article argues, based on...
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A global anatomy of health and the workday lunch
(originally published on 14 September 2016, The Financial Times) The Financial Times published an article on assessing the state of the workday lunch around the globe in Paris, Tokyo, Mexico City and...
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The sugar levy is economic lunacy. A rethink is urgently needed
(originally published on 22 August 2016, The Health Spectator) The Health Spectator published an article on economic implications of the sugar levy on 22 August 2016. The article assesses the pros a...
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Barnaby Joyce on a sugar tax: ‘If you want to lose weight, eat less’ – video
(originally published on 23 November 2016, The Guardian) The Guardian published a video of Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce on a sugar tax on 23 November 2016. In his speech, the De...
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Mexico’s soda tax: two years later
The article published by the New York Times (NYT) covers the publication by the Health Affairs Journal of an article by Professor Popkin on the impact of the Mexico sugar-sweetened beverage tax. Thi...
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Sugar Tax and Changes in Total Calorie Consumption
The working paper released by the New Zealand Treasury challenges the argument according to which a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) could be the most effective strategy to fight obesity as it...
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Soft Drinks Tax: is the UK moving in the right direction?
Christopher Snowdon on The Spectator highlights the counterfactual evidence against the three main claims used by the UK Treasury to justify the introduction of a of the Soda Tax in 2018, as announced...
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UK Sugar Tax expected to cause significant job losses
London’s business focused newspaper City A.M. reports the results of a study conducted by the think tank Taxpayer’s Alliance on the impact of the UK sugar tax. Announced by former UK chancellor Ge...
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UK Sugar Tax Faces Criticism from Consumers’s Organizations
The Sun reports that the UK sugar tax, set to enter into force in April 2018, is facing rising opposition which questions both its merits and its design. Taxpayers Alliance is criticizing the Governm...
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Colombia: why a soft drinks tax is not the solution
In view of the possible introduction of a tax on soft drinks in Colombia, the newspaper El Nuevo Día interviewed the executive director of the ANDI Chamber of the Beverage Industry, Santiago López J...
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