A sugar tax could decrease purchases of the types of food and drinks blamed for Britain’s obesity crisis, according to research presented to MPs on Tuesday by Dr Alison Tedstone, chief nutritionist at Public Health England (PHE).
Members of the Commons health select committee were told by Tedstone that a “fiscal approach” could help cut the consumption of sugary drinks.
“The higher the tax increase the greater the effect,” she told the committee, which was given a taster of some of the findings from a review by PHE into evidence about how to reduce the population’s sugar intake.
Tedstone said that Public Health England had reviewed two types of evidence: the experimental data which came from examinations of the impact of changing prices, and the data from other countries.
On the question of so-called sugar taxes, she told MPs: “The point of the tax is to nudge people away from purchasing these things and towards purchasing things that are more consistent with a healthy balanced diet.”
She added that the PHE was also looking at the way products are promoted, telling the committee: “We also talk about pack size, because pack size is a way of promoting food and drives greater consumption. Because of that, PHE are advising that promotions need to be reduced and rebalanced if you want to reduce sugar consumption.”
Appearing earlier this week in front of the same committee, Jamie Oliver called on David Cameron to be “as brave as he knows he should be” in tackling Britain’s obesity crisis.
The celebrity chef and food campaigner said he had had “robust” discussions with the prime minister about his proposed introduction of a 20% tax on sugar-sweetened drinks.
Cameron should “frankly, act like a parent” with food manufacturers, Oliver said, adding: “Industry has to be kept in line … When my kid is a little bit naughty, gets a bit lairy, it goes on the naughty step.”
The government is currently reviewing the measures it will include in a forthcoming anti-obesity strategy, and Oliver told the health select committee he did not believe ministers had yet ruled out including the controversial levy, which he says would add around 7p to the price of a 330ml can of fizzy drink.
