Soft drinks levy changes could cut 17 million calories a day

The government has taken a significant step towards protecting children's health after extending the The Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL).

Health Secretary Wes Streeting today announced the scheme was being updated to include more products, including sugary milk-based drinks, which the government says could cut 17 million calories a day across the nation.

Reacting to the news, Hannah Brinsden, our Head of Policy and Advocacy, said: "Today's announcement that the soft drinks industry levy is to be strengthened is a welcome step, and acknowledgement of the major public health success SDIL has had to date – it has created a financial incentive for companies to remove tonnes of sugar from soft drinks, while also raising much needed revenue for children's health.

"It's only right the design is strengthened to ensure it is having the maximum impact and that its success continues. Companies should put their consumers health first and introduce changes without delay.  

"The government has set out a vision for a new ‘good food cycle’, which will require  incentives across the food system that encourage healthier, more sustainable food for everyone.

"We know sugar comes from a range of food, not just soft drinks, so the government should now be looking to learn from the success of  SDIL to date and extend it to food, as part of efforts to grow a strong economy that supports public health, and reset the economic incentives in the food system.

"This will also help create new revenue that can be invested in addressing key priorities such as child poverty and children’s health.

The decision has also been welcomed by the Recipe for Change coalition - read more on that here.
 

• Main image: Drinks in a supermarket. Copyright: © 2023. Provided by Impact on Urban Health licensed via a?CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license