SUGAR IS ‘THE NEW TOBACCO’
SUGAR IS ‘THE NEW TOBACCO’ scream the blacktop tabloids, conjuring images of small pockets of people standing outside the entrances to public buildings, stuffing jelly sweets in their mouths, the stench of fructose wafting in the air.
In a similar way to their approach to tobacco manufacturers, the UK&I Government has introduced levies for beverage producers – the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL), known informally as the sugar tax. Drinks with more than 8g of sugar per 100ml will face a tax rate equivalent to 24p per litre. Those containing 5-8g of sugar per 100ml will face a slightly lower rate of tax, of 18p per litre. It is then up to these companies whether to pass on the additional costs. Cancer Research UK estimates a 20% tax on sugary drinks could prevent 3.7 million cases of obesity over the next decade.
Different firms have reacted in different ways. The majority have reduced sugar content. However, Coca Cola have reduced their bottle size from 1,75 to 1,5 litres and also increased RRP by 20 pence. On the other hand, Lucozade have heavily reduced sugar content, offset by adding high intensity sweeteners (HIS).
But is a ‘one size fits all’ sugar reduction policy in beverage the way to go? Certainly people with illnesses such as diabetes, low sugar, colitis, fibromyalgia, epilepsy and other long term chronic illnesses would disagree. Surely educating consumers, especially younger generations, about sugar and its negative connotations would make more sense. Also, ensuring purchasers understand the nutritional values onpack, portion control, Recommended Daily Allowances, etc. After all, moderation in all things is the best policy!
Is replacing sugar with HIS (artificial such as aspartame, Acesulfame K or ‘natural’, such as stevia) a good idea? In beverage, perhaps – if we put aside the potential health side effects, such as dizziness, migraines, insomnia, depression, etc.
4 | ADMISI - The Ghost In The Machine | May/June 2018
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