The UK government is significantly expanding its controversial 'sugar tax', forcing a range of popular milkshakes, iced coffees, and soft drinks to alter their recipes. Health Secretary Wes Streeting confirmed the move, which will see the Soft Drinks Industry Levy extended to include milk-based drinks for the first time.
What's Changing with the Sugar Tax?
In a statement to MPs, Health Secretary Wes Streeting announced a dual-pronged approach to the sugar tax. Firstly, the levy will now apply to milk-based drinks, which were previously exempt. Secondly, the government is lowering the sugar threshold at which the tax applies from 5g of sugar per 100ml to 4.5g of sugar per 100ml.
Mr Streeting defended the policy, stating, "This government will not look away as children get unhealthier." The original sugar tax was introduced in 2018 to discourage manufacturers from producing high-sugar beverages.
The Full List of 17 Affected Drinks
The new rules place a number of well-known brands squarely in the crosshairs. Drinks that will now be subject to the levy, and therefore likely face recipe changes to avoid the tax, include:
- Frijj chocolate milkshake: 11.4g of sugar per 100ml
- Cadbury chocolate milkshake: 10.3g of sugar per 100ml
- Yazoo chocolate milkshake: 8.6g of sugar per 100ml
- Starbucks Caffe Latte iced coffee: 8.3g of sugar per 100ml
- Arctic Coffee Cafe Latte: 7.9g of sugar per 100ml
- Shaken Udder Vanillalicious: 8.4g of sugar per 100ml
- Jimmy’s Iced Coffee original: 4.9g of sugar per 100ml
- Irn Bru: 4.5g of sugar per 100ml
- Pepsi: 4.5g of sugar per 100ml
- Old Jamaica Ginger Beer: 4.9g of sugar per 100ml
- San Pellegrino Lemon: 4.5g of sugar per 100ml
- Fanta Lemon: 4.5g of sugar per 100ml
- Ribena: 4.3g of sugar per 100ml
- Tango Orange: 4.3g of sugar per 100ml
- Dr Pepper: 4.3g of sugar per 100ml
- Rubicon Sparkling Mango: 4.5g of sugar per 100ml
- Lucozade Orange: 4.5g of sugar per 100ml
Political and Public Reaction
The policy has not been met with universal approval. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage voiced strong opposition, telling the BBC he was "sick to death of a government telling us how we should live." He argued that the focus should be on education, allowing people to make their own healthy decisions.
This expansion under the Labour Party government represents one of the most significant changes to the sugar tax since its inception. The move signals a continued and intensified focus on public health initiatives aimed at reducing sugar consumption across the population.
