Not so sweet

The UK’s soft drinks sugar levy has been extended to cover more products including milk-based and milk-alternative drinks, forcing beverage brands and fillers to comply or face the tax after 1 January 2028.*

The tax is only for pre-packaged soft drinks that include added sugar, which already includes most canned carbonated and non-carbonated drinks sold in supermarkets, but will now also include the likes of canned coffee, dairy and non-dairy milkshakes.

Previously, milk-based drinks were exempt from the levy due to their containing calcium – critical for health and especially early years development – however the high content of ‘free sugars’ (added or naturally-occurring) in some of them has made the UK Government change this.

The sugar content threshold is being lowered from 5g to 4.5g of sugar per 100ml. 

The UK government recommends that free sugars should not make up more than five per cent of the energy (calories) that consumers get from food and drink each day.

The NHS states:

• Adults should have no more than 30g of free sugars a day, (roughly equivalent to seven sugar cubes).
• Children aged seven to ten should have no more than 24g of free sugars a day (six sugar cubes).
• Children aged four to six should have no more than 19g of free sugars a day (five sugar cubes).
• Children aged two to three should have no more than 14g of free sugars a day (three and a half sugar cubes).
• Children aged one should have no more than 10g of free sugars a day (two and a half sugar cubes).

The UK’s health and social care secretary, Wes Streeting, commented during the announcement of the tax extension on Tuesday 25 November: “Obesity robs children of the best possible start in life, hits the poorest hardest, sets them up for a lifetime of health problems and costs the NHS billions.”

We’ve got a few years to wait yet to see if this legislation does truly make a difference to Britain’s health, but in the meantime, drinks manufacturers who are still over the 4.5g threshold have the challenge of creating new beverage formulations that rate lower on sugar content but deliver the same taste consumers recognise and enjoy. Even one of my favourite matcha latte brands will need to alter the sugar levels in its cans, or risk the cost…

Although, according to the government, nearly 90 per cent of the UK market now contains less sugar than the level at which the tax applies, innovation will be needed for a harmonious balance between low sugar and taste quality in future.

Alex Rivers (she/her), CanTech International editor
Keep in touch via email: [email protected], LinkedIn: CanTech International magazine or X: @CanTechIntl

*At present, the tax is charged at 18p a litre on drinks containing at least 5g of total sugar per 100ml, and 24p a litre on drinks with 8g of sugar or more.