News • Children's Food Campaign
Chief Medical Officer recommends extending Sugary Drinks Tax
The Chief Medical Officer's annual report recommends including sugary milk drinks within the Government's Soft Drinks Industry Levy, along with 'fiscal disincentives in relation to foods that are high in sugar and salt and also incentives to increase fruit and vegetable consumption.' Read Sustain's response.
Ben Reynolds, Deputy CEO of the food and farming charity Sustain, commented:
“As the alliance that led the campaign for the Soft Drinks Industry Levy, we’re pleased to see the Chief Medical Officer coming out in support of the future inclusion of sugary milk drinks in this Levy.
“It is really interesting to see the CMO’s support to look more widely at food prices, and how these can be used to encourage more fruit and veg consumption and rebalance with the price of less healthy produce. Good food should be more affordable, accessible and attractive. Only then will we see a shift in consumption away from unhealthy and unsustainable food and drink, products which leave taxpayers to pick up the costs of an overstretched NHS and environmental damage.”
Published Friday 21 December 2018
Children's Food Campaign: Better food and food teaching for children in schools, and protection of children from junk food marketing are the aims of Sustain's high-profile Children's Food Campaign. We also want clear food labelling that can be understood by everyone, including children.
