Children’s Food Campaign co-ordinator, Malcolm Clark, responds to launch of Coca Cola Life
"In light of recent calls for a sugary drinks duty, the new Action on Sugar campaign and the Chief Medical Officer openly considering the need for a sugar tax, we are now seeing industry trying to appear as though they are responding.
However, there is little to applaud in Coca-Cola GB’s announcement. Fundamentally, this is about a company launching a sugary product to encourage more people to consume a substance that contributes to a range of dietary and health-related problems.
Coca-Cola appears to be using the cover of the Government’s discredited Responsibility Deal to seek acclaim for bringing out a product that still contains over 4 teaspoons of sugar per 330ml can, which equates to one-quarter of a child’s daily recommended maximum intake of sugar.
The nature of Coca-Cola’s business – of selling us sugary products – has not changed. There is no commitment in this announcement to stop promoting or selling their full-sugar brands, or of “smart-swapping” to diet and no-sugar alternatives as Public Health England recommends. And, with Coca-Cola failing to sign up to the new front-of-pack nutrition labelling scheme or support government efforts for a Food Promotion pledge, we remain to be convinced that the sugary drinks industry is moving much in the right direction."
Children's Food Campaign: Campaigning for policy changes so that all children can easily eat sustainable and healthy food.
