For those with a sweet tooth that it can be difficult to curb, you may want to be aware of the changes soon to come as part of the Government’s new ‘sugar tax’
Prices on fizzy drinks and sweets are all set to rise in the next couple of weeks as a result of the increase on tax, with many favourites due to rise sharply in price.
The new sugar tax will come into effect in the UK on April 6 and this is what you can expect in terms of price increases:
How is the new tax calculated?
(Image credit: Anthony Devlin/PA Wire)
The new tax will come in two different bands, drinks with a total sugar content above 5g per 100ml are going to be taxed at 18p a litre.
Drinks with an even higher sugar content of 8g per 100ml will be taxed at an even higher rate of 24p per litre.
How much more expensive will fizzy drinks be?
It has been reported that the average price many supermarkets are currently charging for a 1.75 litre bottle of regular Coca Cola is currently around £1.66.
The ingredients for regular coke list the sugar content as being 10.6g per 100ml which pushes the drink into the higher tax band.
This will mean an increase of 42p per bottle.
For a 330ml can that would work out as an increase of around 8p on top of an average 70p price tag.
Which drinks are exempt?
A number of criteria are being introduced alongside the tax which would make some drinks exempt from the increased price.
A drink will not be subject to the tax if it:
Is an alcohol replacement drink (i.e non-alcoholic beer)
Contains at least 75% milk
Is a milk-substitute which has at least 120mg of calcium per 100ml (i.e almond milk or soya milk)
Drinks designed for use as a total dietary supplement, baby foods, and special dietary food for medical purposes
What alternatives are there?
Fortunately so far the tax is only being brought in for fizzy drinks, so sweet lovers will live to consume another day, financially speaking.
But for fizzy drinks lovers there are many zero calorie and sugar free options which will not see an increase in price.
But some drinks companies are trying to get ahead of the curve by launching new products ahead of the tax.
Manufacturer AG Barr has stopped producing its full-sugar version of Irn Bru, while Britvic has also slashed sugar ingredients across its propular Robinson’s range including J2O and Fruit Shoot.
The new prices will come into effect on April 6.
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