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STV News
01-05-2025
- Health
- STV News
Call for urgent action to protect infants from unhealthy food
Health campaigners have called on the Government to take urgent action to protect infants and young children following a study that found top brands are selling sugar-heavy, nutritionally poor baby food. A coalition of 40 leading health and child organisations have written to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care following the findings of the Leeds University research, featured in the BBC Panorama investigation The Truth About Baby Food Pouches which looked at 632 food products marketed towards babies and toddlers under three. It found that 41% of main meals marketed for children had sugar levels that were too high and that 21% of ready-to-eat fruit products, cereals and meals were too watery and not providing adequate nutrition. It also discovered that many early weaning foods were being sold as being suitable for babies aged four months, which goes against NHS and World Health Organisation guidance. The study also found that a quarter of the products analysed were so high in sugar they would require a sugar warning label on the front of the pack, in accordance with WHO guidelines. According to NHS guidelines, babies aged one should have no more than ten grams of sugar per day, and no more than 14 grams per day for children aged two and three. The sugar recommendation is applicable to naturally occurring free sugars and added sugars. The coalition warned of a 'worsening health crisis', with government data showing more children shifting from a healthy weight to overweight or obesity between Reception and Year 6 than the reverse, especially in the most deprived areas. The Obesity Health Alliance (OHA) said it had serious concerns that without urgent action, today's children could grow up facing worse health outcomes than their parents. It is calling for stronger regulation of the commercial baby food sector, including mandatory limits for sugar in baby and toddler foods, stronger restrictions for 'unnecessary' follow-on formula milk products, and clearer, 'more responsible' marketing and labelling. The coalition said that despite recent progress – such as restrictions on junk food advertising on TV before 9pm and online at any time, the forthcoming multibuy promotion ban, and the proposed extension of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy to sugary milk drinks – the measures did not go far enough. OHA director Katharine Jenner said: 'The evidence is clear: children's health is being compromised from the very start of life. 'Given industry has failed to act voluntarily, it's now time for government intervention to protect the next generation and grant every child a healthier start. 'From the moment they're born, babies are bombarded with sugary, highly processed foods. 'It's fuelling a health crisis that starts in infancy and is almost impossible to undo later in life. Ignoring the issue is no longer an option.' Which? head of food policy Sue Davies said: 'It's unacceptable that so many foods and snacks aimed at babies have such poor nutritional quality and high sugar levels. 'To make matters worse, these items are often misleadingly marketed as being healthy, making it difficult for parents to make informed choices about the best products to buy for their children. 'The Government urgently needs to update the out-of-date laws for commercial baby foods to ensure there are tighter controls on their composition, including limits on their sugar and salt content, make labelling clear and upfront, and clamp down on any misleading marketing claims that suggest products are healthier than they really are.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Western Telegraph
30-04-2025
- Health
- Western Telegraph
Campaigners call for urgent action to protect infants from unhealthy food
A coalition of 40 leading health and child organisations have written to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care following the findings of the Leeds University research, featured in the BBC Panorama investigation The Truth About Baby Food Pouches which looked at 632 food products marketed towards babies and toddlers under three. It found that 41% of main meals marketed for children had sugar levels that were too high and that 21% of ready-to-eat fruit products, cereals and meals were too watery and not providing adequate nutrition. From the moment they're born, babies are bombarded with sugary, highly processed foods. It's fuelling a health crisis that starts in infancy and is almost impossible to undo later in life. Ignoring the issue is no longer an option Katharine Jenner, Obesity Health Alliance It also discovered that many early weaning foods were being sold as being suitable for babies aged four months, which goes against NHS and World Health Organisation guidance. The study also found that a quarter of the products analysed were so high in sugar they would require a sugar warning label on the front of the pack, in accordance with WHO guidelines. According to NHS guidelines, babies aged one should have no more than 10 grams of sugar per day, and no more than 14 grams per day for children aged two and three. The sugar recommendation is applicable to naturally occurring free sugars and added sugars. The coalition warned of a 'worsening health crisis', with government data showing more children shifting from a healthy weight to overweight or obesity between Reception and Year 6 than the reverse, especially in the most deprived areas. The Obesity Health Alliance (OHA) said it had serious concerns that without urgent action, today's children could grow up facing worse health outcomes than their parents. It is calling for stronger regulation of the commercial baby food sector, including mandatory limits for sugar in baby and toddler foods, stronger restrictions for 'unnecessary' follow-on formula milk products, and clearer, 'more responsible' marketing and labelling. The coalition said that despite recent progress – such as restrictions on junk food advertising on TV before 9pm and online at any time, the forthcoming multibuy promotion ban, and the proposed extension of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy to sugary milk drinks – the measures did not go far enough. OHA director Katharine Jenner said: 'The evidence is clear: children's health is being compromised from the very start of life. 'Given industry has failed to act voluntarily, it's now time for government intervention to protect the next generation and grant every child a healthier start. 'From the moment they're born, babies are bombarded with sugary, highly processed foods. 'It's fuelling a health crisis that starts in infancy and is almost impossible to undo later in life. Ignoring the issue is no longer an option.' Which? head of food policy Sue Davies said: 'It's unacceptable that so many foods and snacks aimed at babies have such poor nutritional quality and high sugar levels. 'To make matters worse, these items are often misleadingly marketed as being healthy, making it difficult for parents to make informed choices about the best products to buy for their children. 'The Government urgently needs to update the out-of-date laws for commercial baby foods to ensure there are tighter controls on their composition, including limits on their sugar and salt content, make labelling clear and upfront, and clamp down on any misleading marketing claims that suggest products are healthier than they really are.'
STV News
30-04-2025
- Business
- STV News
Sugar tax could be extended to milkshakes and lattes to tackle obesity
The sugar tax applied to fizzy drinks could be extended to milkshakes and coffee drinks under UK Government proposals. Plans to end the exemption from the levy for dairy-based drinks, as well as non-dairy substitutes such as oats or rice, were put out for consultation on Monday. The tax would be applied to pre-packaged drinks cans of latte, flavoured milkshake drinks and cartons of milk alternatives. Chancellor Rachel Reeves had said in her autumn budget last year that the Government would consider broadening the tax to include such drinks. The so-called Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) was introduced by the previous Tory government in April 2018 as part of its anti-obesity drive. Government statistics released last September showed the tax has raised a total of £1.9bn since it first came into effect. The SDIL proposal seeks to reduce the maximum amount of sugar allowed in drinks before they become subject to the levy, lowering the threshold from 5g to 4g per 100ml. Under the new plans, milk-based drinks would receive a 'lactose allowance', accounting for the naturally occurring sugars in milk. The government says this could reduce daily calorie intake by an average of 1.2kcal in 19-64 year olds and 2.1kcal in 11-18 year olds to achieve health and economic benefits of around £4.2bn over 25 years. Some 203 pre-packed milk-based drinks on the market, which make up 93% of sales within the category, will be subject to the tax unless their sugar content is reduced under the new proposals, according to Government analysis. Sugar content in soft drinks collapsed by 46% in the past five years as a result of the levy introduced by chancellor George Osborne in 2016, according to the Food and Drink Federation. As a result of widespread reformulation by manufacturers after the initial announcement, 89% of fizzy drinks sold in the UK do not pay the tax. The sugar tax is currently charged at £1.94 per ten litres on drinks with 5g to 7.9g sugar per 100ml and £2.59 per ten litres for drinks with 8g or more sugar per 100ml. The exemption for milk-based drinks was included because of concerns about calcium consumption, particularly among children. However, the Treasury said young people only get 3.5% of their calcium intake from such drinks, meaning 'it is also likely that the health benefits do not justify the harms from excess sugar'. 'By bringing milk-based drinks and milk substitute drinks into the SDIL, the Government would introduce a tax incentive for manufacturers of these drinks to build on existing progress and further reduce sugar in their recipes,' it said. The Institute for Economic Affairs, a right-wing free-market think tank, expressed concerns about the cost to consumers of the proposed changes. They also argue that it has done little to tackle obesity in children. UK sugar intake remains about double the recommended level, according to government statistics. The most recent data from the Scottish Health Survey 2022 shows that 18% of children aged two to 15 are now at risk of developing obesity – the Scottish Government's 2030 target is 7%. Consumption of sugary soft drinks is also more than twice as high among the most deprived children compared to the least deprived – 29.1% compared to 13.1%. 'The sugar tax has been such a dramatic failure that it should be repealed, not expanded,' said Christopher Snowdon, head of lifestyle economics at the institute. 'Sugar taxes have never worked anywhere. What happened to Starmer's promise to not raise taxes on working people?' The Government consultation on the plans will run from Monday until July 21. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Scotsman
30-04-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
How lattes and milkshakes in Scotland would be hit by new sugar tax under government plans
The sugar tax could be expanded to include lattes - and the changes would apply in Scotland Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The sugar tax applied to fizzy drinks could be extended to pre-packaged lattes and milkshakes under new UK government proposals. Milkshakes, lattes and other pre-packaged milk-based drinks could soon face new taxes under plans being considered by the UK government to expand the sugar levy, in a move ministers say is aimed at tackling childhood obesity. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The products would face the sugar tax under moves to tackle obesity | PA The Treasury launched a consultation on Monday proposing to end the exemption for milk-based drinks and their plant-based alternatives, such as oat and rice beverages, from the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL), more commonly known as the sugar tax. The levy would apply in Scotland, as well as south of the Border. UK home secretary Yvette Cooper said the measures were part of a scheme to improve children's health. 'We are making sure we are taking practical, sensible measures to improve the health of our children,' she told BBC Breakfast. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad First introduced by the Conservative government in April 2018, the SDIL applies to manufacturers of sugary soft drinks and was designed to encourage reformulation and reduce sugar consumption among children. The tax has since raised £1.9 billion and, according to government figures, helped reduce sugar levels in many popular drinks. Almost 90 per cent of soft drinks sold in the UK are now exempt from the levy due to changes made by manufacturers. However, pre-packaged milk-based drinks have so far remained outside its scope. Government analysis shows 93 per cent of drinks in this category could be hit by the expanded tax unless sugar content is lowered in line with the new proposed thresholds. The government is also proposing to lower the threshold for sugar content from 5g to 4g per 100ml - a move designed to close what the Treasury describes as a 'target effect' that has led manufacturers to cluster sugar levels just below the existing limit. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The exemption for milkshakes and lattes was initially made due to concerns about children's calcium intake. But the Treasury now argues such drinks contribute just 3.5 per cent of calcium in young people's diets, while delivering high levels of sugar. A spokesperson said: 'It is likely that the health benefits do not justify the harms from excess sugar.' Chancellor Rachel Reeves first signalled the government's intention to review the levy in her Autumn Budget last year. The consultation, which opened Monday, will run until July 21. The proposals have drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties. Shadow chancellor Mel Stride called the move a 'sucker punch' to families, accusing Labour of pushing up the cost of living. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said he was 'sick to death of a government telling us how we should live' and urged ministers to focus on education instead of taxation. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch also criticised the proposal, calling the levy 'a bit too much nanny state'. She said the government appeared to be 'just looking for what else they can tax'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Supporters, however, say the extension is long overdue. Tam Fry, chairman of the National Obesity Forum, said the levy was 'not a game-changer', but a necessary step in a broader strategy to improve public health.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
UK sets outs plans to change sugar tax
The UK government has called for consultation on proposals to widen the sugar tax on soft drinks and include milk-based drinks. The Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL), introduced in 2018 as an obesity measure, could expand to cover drinks with a lower sugar content and include milk-based and milk-substitute drinks, which had thus far been exempt. The consultation lays out proposals "to build on the SDIL's success in incentivising soft drinks producers to reduce sugar content", the HM Revenue & Customs and HM Treasury said in a joint statement. The proposals are: to reduce the minimum sugar content for SDIL to apply at 18p (24c) per litre from 5-7.9g per 100ml to 4g-7.9g per 100ml; to remove the exemption for milk-based drinks while introducing a 'lactose allowance' which does not penalise natural sugars from milk; and to remove the exemption for milk substitute drinks with 'added sugars' beyond those sugars derived from the principal ingredient such as oats or rice. At the moment, drinks with a sugar content of 8g or more sugar per 100ml are charged at the higher rate of 24p per litre. In a statement, a spokesperson for trade association The Food and Drink Federation said: "Food and drink manufacturers are facing a series of inflationary pressures and government must continue to create the right conditions for businesses to innovate and also be clear about their long-term goals to promote business confidence. A predictable regulatory environment is vital to ensuring our sector can continue to invest in developing healthier options." Manufacturers had already significantly reduced sugar content in drinks over the past five years, including in milk-based drinks that are not subject to SDIL, the spokesperson added. The British Soft Drinks Association said the changes were unnecessary. 'This decision is a muddled and damaging shifting of the goalposts which risks undermining years of reformulation investment with questionable positive health outcomes. More than seven out of every ten soft drinks sold in the UK are low or no sugar and the total sugar removed from soft drinks between 2015 and 2024 is just under three quarters of a billion kilograms," a spokesperson said. The BSDA spokesperson also pointed to "major and unprecedented financial headwinds for our members, from record-high inflation and NIC increases, to spiralling ingredient costs and incoming trade tariffs". The spokesperson added: "Such cost increases have already impacted our members' ability to grow their businesses and boost employment, and the lowering of the SDIL threshold risks making this even more challenging." But Kawther Hashem, at campaign group Action on Sugar, said the proposals would improve public health. "We are delighted to see the government taking steps to strengthen the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) which has already driven significant reductions in sugar across the drinks industry, and these new proposals are a bold and necessary next step," she said. "We strongly support the move to reduce the minimum sugar threshold and to end the exemptions for sugary milk-based and milk-substitute drinks. This ensures a more consistent and fair approach across all types of drinks, and it makes absolute sense for public health," Hashem added. The consultation closes on 21 July. Responses can be made online, by email or in writing. "UK sets outs plans to change sugar tax" was originally created and published by Just Food, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
