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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The Netherlands: wide political consensus against sugar tax
A broad consensus against the introduction of a sugar tax in the Netherlands has emerged from parties across the political spectrum. Asked about their position on the issue following the debate in the...
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UK Sugar Tax may aggravate the struggle against diabetes
An article from the BBC warns the public about the collateral effects of the UK sugar tax, announced by the Government this March it should see daylight starting April 2018. According to the UK’s o...
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German Food Minister Schmidt says no to UK-style Sugar Tax
According to an article from Die Welt, the Federal Minister for Food, Christian Schmidt (CSU) rejects a tax on sugary drinks based on the model announced by the British Government on March 16 2016....
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UK “anti-consumer” Sugar Tax could cost £1 billion to set up
In a recent article Brook Whelan from the Huffignton Post takes a closer look at the effects on the UK economy of the freshly brewed “sugar tax”, which was designed and announced by the British Go...
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Why the UK Sugar Tax will fail to hit the mark
The Huffington Post published an article that points out some of the contradictions contained in the freshly approved “sugar tax” that the British Government announced to be put in place in Apri...
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Finnish government dismisses plan for sugar tax
The Finnish government has scrapped a plan to replace the current tax on sweets with a tax on sugar, stressing that such measure would be difficult to implement and its health impact is not clear. Th...
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Sugar taxes ineffective, proves new study
A new report based on real-world examples by the prestigious UK-based think tank Institute for Economic Affairs demonstrates that sugar taxes are ineffective, regressive and inefficient. The main fin...
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Mixed reactions to new study on Mexican sugar tax
A new study on the effects of the Mexican tax on sugar sweetened beverages published in the medical journal ‘The BMJ’ has triggered different reactions among experts, after finding a 6% drop in...
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Bulgarian Finance Minister opposes food tax
In an interview available on the website of the Bulgarian Ministry of Finance, the Minister Vladislav Goranov, asked to comment on the matter, has voiced his opposition to the much debated proposal of...
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Dutch experts question sugar tax effects on health
When asked to comment on Jamie Oliver’s controversial ‘sugar tax’, Dutch experts expressed their doubts regarding the efficacy of such measure when it comes to improving public health. A tax...
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“Mexican soda tax did not lead to reduction in total calorie consumption”, finds study
A study conducted by Mexican econometricians and researchers of the Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico (ITAM) on the impact of the tax on drinks with added sugars found that the measure fail...
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UK Government reiterates sugar tax not an option
Following the presentation of Public Health’s England (PHE) report “Sugar Reduction – The Evidence for Action” at the House of Common, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Cameron has stressed ag...
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UK government responds to Jamie Oliver’s petition saying that it has “no plans to introduce a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages”
On Monday 21 September 2015, the UK government has responded to the petition launched by the well-known chef Jamie Oliver, who is campaigning for the introduction of a ‘soda tax’ as a solution for...
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Australian Beverages Council replies to calls for ‘soda tax’ providing evidence on its ineffectiveness and unfairness
Like many other countries, Australia is looking for the best solution to tackle the growing problem of obesity. As many are asking for a tax on certain products, including soft drinks, the Australian...
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New report shows Berkeley Soda Tax is poorly transmitted to consumer prices
In January 2015, the city of Berkeley (United States, California) introduced a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages at a rate of one-cent-per-ounce with the clear objective of lowering consumption of thet...
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Fat tax supporters try to rewrite failed Danish fat tax history
In this article, from the health section of the Spectator magazine website, the author explains how, one and a half year after its abolishment, pro fat tax voices are trying to rewrite history, claimi...
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UK think tank stresses “taxes on food and soft drinks are ineffective”
A new paper, published by the UK think tank Institute of Economic Affairs, scrutinises the justification for increasing government interference in the sugar market, as has been recently proposed by th...
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Comprehensive literature study finds evidence from food tax-related studies “complex, limited and largely equivocal”
A systematic scoping review of food tax-related studies, published by the University of Cambridge, exposes “a complex, limited and largely equivocal evidence base, suggesting that the public health...
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1700 jobs lost in Mexico one year after new soft drinks tax, while NZ report confirms ineffectiveness of sugar taxes in curbing obesity
In Mexico, business owners warn that the tax on sugar sweetened soft drinks has affected the competitiveness of the industry, leading to the loss of 1700 jobs since the tax was introduced in 2014. The...
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Belgian Health Minister De Block not in favor of a soft drinks tax
On 18 May 2015, the first results from the study NutriNet Santé were published in Belgium. It was investigating the diet and lifestyles of 5.000 Belgian consumers. A dedicated working group in Fland...
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WHO Europe paper on pricing policies to promote healthier diets miss
On 23 March 2015, WHO Europe released a paper called "Using price policies to promote healthier diets". Although the paper acknowledges that broader effects of HFSS taxes, such as product substitu...
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Commission investigates Danish ‘fat tax’
On 5 February 2015, the European Commission initiated a formal investigation procedure against Denmark's so-called 'fat tax', which was introduced in 2011 and abolished in January 2013: the European...
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Focus on fitness not fatness – Why food taxes are missing the point
Researcher at the University of Essex, children’s fitness expert Dr. Gavin Sandercock writes in BBC news that we have been looking at obesity the wrong way, leaving the harm generated by physical in...
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McKinsey Institute: How the world could better fight obesity
Obesity is a critical global issue that requires a comprehensive, international intervention strategy. Much of the global debate on this issue has become polarized and sometimes deeply antago...
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Study finds no evidence for an association between sugar-sweetened beverages and obesity
This systematic academic review focused specifically on the role of sugar-sweetened beverages in obesity risk, taking into account energy balance. Scientific conclusions could not be drawn from the i...
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