Healthy Eating: Would a Sugar and Salt Tax Help?

An independent review of the food we eat has led to the recommendation that sugar and salt should be taxed and that vegetables should be prescribed by the NHS.

The review, which was led by businessman and food chain Leon owner, Henry Dimbleby, was commissioned by the government in 2019 with a view to reforming the food system in order to protect the NHS, improve the nation’s health and assist with saving the environment.

Due to be studied by the government, who have committed to responding to the suggestions with proposals for future laws within 6 months, the review comments on the Covid-19 pandemic highlighting a ‘painful reality check’ in the number of people with food-related ill-health. Mr Dimbleby believes that if the proposals are implemented in full, 38 calories per person could be saved per day resulting in the average person losing 2kg (4.4lb) in weight per year.

However, the prime minister, Boris Johnson, has said that he does not agree with the idea of adding extra tax for hard-working people.

In addition, the food industry has responded by suggesting that the knock-on effect of implementation of these recommendations would be higher food prices.

Psychologist David Halpern, who advises the government, disagreed comparing the concept to the sugar levy which was introduced on soft drinks in April 2018 and which drove manufacturers to remove sugar from products through reformulation. This actually led, not only to a reduction of sugar added into soft drinks of about a third, but also an increase in sales.