The UK Government is facing renewed calls to tax sugary foods after research found the soft drinks industry levy (SDIL) has been successful in reducing sugar consumption.
A study found that free sugars consumed from soft drinks fell by around a half in children and by a third in adults in the three years following the announcement of the SDIL in March 2016.
Researchers also found absolute reductions in the daily consumption of free sugars from the whole diet, including food, in children and adults of 4.8 g and 10.9 g respectively, the majority of which was from lower consumption of sugary drinks.
The research, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, was based on UK national diet and nutrition survey data between 2008 and 2019, covering responses from 7,999 adults and 7,656 children.
The SDIL was announced in March 2016 and implemented in April 2018 and led to many manufacturers reducing the sugar content of their soft drinks’ portfolio.
Experts made the case that evidence of the success of the levy should see fiscal measures expanded to cover sugary foods. “This new analysis drives home the importance of policies designed to improve the nutritional quality of food and drink,” Dr Kawther Hashem, a lecturer in public health nutrition at Queen Mary University of London told The Guardian.
“With a new government now in place, policymakers are urged to consider applying a similar levy to other discretionary products that are key contributors to sugar intake, such as chocolate confectionery, to shift diets towards a healthier direction,” she added.
Despite the success of the SDIL, the average UK citizen still consumes too much sugar. Guidelines from the World Health Organization and the UK Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition suggest limiting free sugar consumption to below 5% of total energy intake to achieve maximum health benefits. This equates to daily maximum amounts of 30g for adults, 24g for children aged between 7 and 10 years and 19g for young children aged 4 to 6 years.
In the UK, consumption of free sugar is well above the recommended daily maximum, although levels have fallen over the last decade. Adolescents, for example, consume approximately 70 g/day and obtain 12.3% of their energy from free sugars
Sugar sweetened beverages remain a major source of free sugar in the UK diet despite a growing body of evidence showing a link between their consumption and higher risk of weight gain, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease and premature mortality.
