Drinks Sector News

Doctors welcome Scotland booze crackdown

Plans for new restrictions on alcohol advertising in Scotland have been welcomed by the medical profession. Last week, the Scottish Government published its updated Alcohol Framework which included a range of measures to reduce consumption and foster more positive attitudes towards drinking. Among the options are for mandatory restrictions on alcohol marketing, as recommended by…

Soft drinks manufacturers and traders have paid an extra £153.8 million in tax since April, due to the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL). The tax was introduced in April 2018 and applies to the packaging and importation of soft drinks containing added sugar. It was introduced as part of the government’s initiative to tackle childhood…

Health guidelines missing from 93% of alcoholic drink labels

Fewer than one in 10 alcoholic drinks carry up to date health warnings, prompting campaigners to call for a mandatory labelling scheme. The only mandatory requirement under EU law is that labels display alcohol by volume (ABV). The provision of other health information – such as pregnancy warnings, information about content in units, and references…

An end to the sale of energy drinks to children moved a step closer last month. What’s happened and is this good news? DON’T READ THE LABEL. Under current EU labelling rules, any drink, other than tea or coffee, that contains over 150mg of caffeine per litre requires a warning label saying: “High caffeine content.…

The three-tier levy on sugar-sweetened drinks has achieved its aim. In fact, it’s been a “double success” that could provide a model for future sugar policies, according to an opinion piece published in the British Medical Journal. Firstly, products have been reformulated: two soft drinks of public health significance remain subject to the highest levy,…

The price of sugary soft drinks is set to increase from 6 April as the government’s soft drinks levy comes into effect. The new levy requires manufacturers to pay 18p per litre to the government for products with a total sugar content of five grams or more per 100 millilitres, and 24p per litre for…

DEFRA will launch a deposit return scheme for empty drinks containers but campaigners still have a fight on their hands, says David Burrows. A deposit return scheme (DRS) for plastic, glass and metal drinks containers will be launched in England, the government confirmed on Wednesday. Details of the scheme remain scant – there will be…