Sugar firms lobby against Government strategy
- Details
- Published: Tuesday, 18 April 2017 07:35
- Written by News Editor
- Hits: 3353
Coca-Cola allegedly warned the Government of potential legal action over its sugar tax on fizzy drinks in a concerted lobbying campaign against the levy, reports the Sunday Times – an allegation that the company denies. This was broadcast on Channel 4’s Dispatches. It has also been reported that the food industry will fail to hit a government goal to cut sugar by a fifth by 2020.
It is alleged that David Gauke, the chief secretary to the Treasury, met executives of the Coca-Cola company in Atlanta, Georgia, in April last year, according to documents released under the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act. The following month a Coca-Cola delegation met Sir Jeremy Heywood, the cabinet secretary, and is claimed to have warned him of the potential threat of legal action.
Internal Coca-Cola documents published last year revealed that sugar taxes were part of its European lobbying priorities. A document described as a “public policy risk matrix”, revealed it would “fight back” against new or increased product taxes in the EU. It would also campaign against increased collection or recycling targets.
Coca-Cola said, however, it had never prepared legal action and had never stated its intention to do so. The company said: “We don’t believe the UK government’s soft drinks tax is an effective way to address obesity. We have made this view very clear both in public and in private, but we have never prepared legal action and nor have we stated that we intend to do so.”
20% cut in sugar by 2020 not posible
The food industry will fail to hit a government goal to cut sugar by a fifth by 2020 and is to push for an alternative to “arbitrary” targets, it has been reported. A representative of the Food and Drink Federation told The Times that they would reduce sugar content in food and drink but not to the government’s timescale.
Food manufacturers have been told by Public Health England to cut sugar levels in nine food categories popular with children: biscuits, cakes, puddings, cereals, chocolates, sweets, yoghurts, spreads and ice cream.
Tim Rycroft, of the Food and Drink Federation, said a 20 per cent sugar cut ‘won’t be technically possible or acceptable to UK consumers’. He added it was also ‘very unlikely’ that all categories and all firms will achieve a 5% cut this year. However the Obesity Health Alliance said the goal was achievable and urged manufacturers to take action to improve the health of children and families.
You need to be logged in to leave comments.
Report