Support for processed food taxes grows

A recent poll has found that a majority of people in the United Kingdom want taxes imposed on companies that make either junk foods or ultra-processed foods (UPFs) to combat the country’s obesity crisis.

In a survey conducted by Ipsos for the Health Foundation — an independent charity — 58% of participants said they supported a tax on corporations that produce foods high in sugar or salt, with some of the revenue to be used to buy fresh fruits and vegetables for low-income families, The Guardian reported. Fifty-three percent of the participants said they supported a tax on corporations that produce UPFs, including sugary cereals, pizza, processed meats and mass-produced bread. Those participants also supported the use of some of that tax revenue to help low-income families improve their diet.

“The new government should be emboldened by this type of polling and understand that this [idea] is something that does enjoy broad support and is likely to lead to important health benefits,” Adam Briggs, a senior policy fellow and public health expert at the Health Foundation, told The Guardian. “The public are basically saying: it’s time for tough action.”

Out of a sample size of 2,136 UK adults, 19% said they were opposed to taxing junk food producers. Twenty percent of participants said they were unsure. Twenty-four percent of participants said they were opposed to the idea of taxing UPF manufacturers, while 21% said they did not know.

Within the UK, an estimated 98 billion pounds per year — or $127 billion — is spent on combatting the longstanding obesity crisis. England’s National Health Service (NHS) spent 6.5 billion pounds to treat illnesses linked to obesity, such as heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes and joint problems.  

In April 2018, the UK introduced its sugar tax, which currently focuses on soft drinks that are produced in the UK or imported into the country. Better known as the soft drinks industry levy (SIDL), the tax remains one of the flagship policies of the nation’s 2016 childhood obesity strategy. It has encouraged many companies to reformulate their drinks and reduce the sugar content of their products, thus benefiting overall consumer health.

A study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health found that the amount of sugar consumed by children from soft drinks halved three years after the UK enforced its SIDL. Researchers looked at responses to the annual UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey between 2008 and 2019. Nearly 8,000 of those responses were from adults, while 7,656 were from children. Researchers found that the daily sugar intake for children fell by about 4.8 grams in the year after the tax was introduced. For adults, it was 10.9 grams.

Briggs advocated for a similar style of sugar tax to be placed on sweets, cakes, cookies, biscuits, sugary breakfast cereals, sweetened yogurts and chips. He said that same tax should then be imposed on packaged meals and pizzas, which contain high amounts of salt.

Findings from the recent poll come amid growing, global calls for further taxation on unhealthy food products. Within the US, 73% of the food on grocery store shelves is ultra-processed. Despite that high percentage, there have been no nationwide bans or taxes placed on such foods to prevent their rising sales. Four states — Arizona, California, Michigan, and Washington — have already enacted laws preempting local taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages. Several states have also considered passing similar legislation.

As UPFs continue to threaten the health of consumers all over the world, Carlos Monteiro — the Brazilian epidemiologist who coined the term ultra-processed foods — has pushed for stricter regulations on such foods. Ahead of the annual International Congress on Obesity, Monteiro called for tobacco-style warnings to be placed on UPFs. In a statement to The Guardian, he added that UPFs should also be banned from schools and health facilities and taxed.

Colombia became one of the first nations in the world to tax UPFs via its new “junk food law,” which went into effect last year. The tax was initially set to 10% and has risen to 15% this year. It is expected to reach 20% in 2025.