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UK: Should dairy drinks and RTD coffee be included in soda taxes?

Published Nov 19, 2024

Tridge summary

The UK government is reviewing the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) with consideration to include milk-based drinks, such as milkshakes and RTD coffees, due to their high sugar content. This move is supported by health campaigners like Action on Sugar, citing the need for healthier market options and a comprehensive approach to dietary health policies. However, the dairy industry argues that milk-based drinks provide essential nutrients like calcium, protein, and vitamins, and extending the levy could have unintended negative health consequences. The review also highlights the need for addressing the high sugar content in pre-packaged milkshakes and milky coffee drinks, compared to the lower sugar intake from milk-based drinks by young people. The outcome of this review could influence global health policies regarding sugar taxes and milk-based products.
Disclaimer: The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

The UK Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) was introduced in 2018 and has generally been considered successful in its goals to reduce sugar intake from sugary drinks and encouraging reformulation across the beverage industry. But milk-based drinks have had an exemption from the outset. Now, the UK government is setting out to revamp the SDIL: and a key question it is pondering is whether milk-based drinks should be included.​ If it goes ahead and includes them, it would be among the first to target milkshakes and RTD coffees for their sugar content. In the UK, milk-based drinks currently escape the SDIL on the condition they contain at least 75ml of milk per 100ml. That exemption was created to ensure the levy did not disincentivize calcium consumption, particularly among young people. In an effort to treat both animal milk and plant-based alternatives fairly, milk substitutes such as soya or almond milk are also exempt from the SDIL - providing they contain at least 120mg of calcium ...
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