Sugar tax should include ALL chocolate and sweets, say health experts (and it could mean prices up a fifth)
THE FIZZY drinks tax should be extended to cover all chocolate, sweets and other confectionery containing the highest levels of sugar, say health campaigners.
Chocolate and sweets are already included in Public Health England's programme aiming for a 20 per cent reduction in sugar by 2020.
But Action on Sugar is urging a mandatory levy set at a minimum of 20 per cent on all confectionery products that contain high levels of sugar.
That includes all those those sold in coffee shops and restaurants.
The six-point manifesto is designed to to help tackle the obesity and type 2 diabetes crisis, the campaigners said.
A two-tier levy of 18p on drinks with 5g of sugar per 100ml and a higher 24p rate on those with more than 8g per 100ml will be introduced from April 2018 as part of plans to reduce childhood obesity.
Chocolate and sweet confectionery contributes nine per cent of the total sugar in the diets of children aged between four and ten, and 11 per cent in teenagers, according to PHE figures.
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But the sweet treats contain little or no nutritional value and contributes significantly to tooth decay.
Action on Sugar chairman Graham MacGregor said: "The levy should be structured by HM Treasury as per the soft drinks industry levy, whereby it is aimed at manufacturers to encourage them to reduce sugar in their overall product ranges.
"Any revenue raised should go towards improving health in the UK."
The campaign group said the next government needed to introduce tough measures to ensure compliance and "put public health first before the profits of the food industry".
It also urged PHE to launch a calorie reduction programme imminently to reduce both sugar and total calories, warning that voluntary sugar reduction through reformulation alone would not combat obesity.
Action on Sugar campaign manager Jenny Rosborough said: "Although Public Health England does not recommend that confectionery is eaten as part of a healthy diet, these foods are one of the biggest contributors of sugar to the diets of children.
"The government obesity plan must be revised to include tougher measures to ensure these products are not heavily marketed or promoted and that the manufacturers produce healthier versions with fewer calories."
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