U.K. to extend sugar tax to milk-based drinks

London British supermarkets are now at the forefront of a battle against sugar. This week, the U.K. government announced an expansion of its sugar tax to cover certain coffee beverages and milk-based drinks, including milkshakes, flavored milks, chocolate milk, sweetened yogurt drinks, and specific coffees, as part of its ongoing strategy to curb obesity.

Dr. Kawther Hashem, a nutritionist who advocated for the tax, explained to CBS News that sugar is the leading cause of hospital admissions among children in the U.K. To make a meaningful impact, we had to start with the biggest source, which was soft drinks, Hashem said.

The original sugar levy, implemented in 2018, charged up to 30 cents per liter for drinks containing 8 grams or more of sugar per 100 milliliters, depending on sugar levels. Rather than passing the cost to consumers, many companies chose to reformulate their products, reducing sugar and often replacing it with artificial sweeteners like aspartame. As a result, U.K. versions of certain drinks now differ significantly from those sold under the same brand in the U.S.

The expanded tax gives manufacturers and importers until January 2028 to meet the new standards. The government emphasized that previous success came from companies halving sugar content in popular drinks to avoid the levy and expects a similar response with this extension. The threshold for taxation will also be reduced from 5 grams to 4.5 grams of sugar per 100 milliliters.

Research from the University of Cambridge in 2023 suggests that for 10- and 11-year-old girls, the tax prevents around 5,000 cases of obesity annually.

Jules Dunlop, an American mother living in the British countryside, said the reformulated products have noticeably less sugar than their U.S. counterparts. Despite not being health-focused, she and her family find that the lower sugar content provides more energy and clearer skin. Just having that baseline of less sugar here has made such a difference, Dunlop remarked.

Some U.S. cities have introduced sugar taxes, but without a nationwide policy, it is unlikely that manufacturers will adjust formulas on a broad scale.

Author: Sophia Brooks