UP IN ARMS
New Zealand beverage manufacturers have come out
swinging over renewed calls for a sugar tax on sugarsweetened
drinks…although they also admit they are
The New Zealand Beverage
Council’s Stephen Jones says a
sugar tax is misguided at best,
and international evidence shows
they are ineffective in reducing
obesity anyway. “In saying this, like
all food manufacturers, we know
that we are part of the problem
and we need to be part of the
solution,” he says. “That is why
our members have taken significant
steps to provide consumers with
more choice, better education and
improved information, allowing
consumers to make more informed
dietary choices. This includes the
launch and heavy promotion of
low and no-sugar varieties and our
strong support of the government’s
Healthy Star Rating System.
Our members have pledged to
only directly sell bottled water to
primary and intermediate schools
and to not sell sugar-sweetened
beverages to secondary schools
as part of our commitment to
sugar-free schools. We believe that
education and nutritional literacy
and increased physical activity
are key to changing the obesity
trends in New Zealand and that a
14 AUGUST 2018
sugar tax will do little to improve
the health of New Zealanders.”
Jones says recent research has
shown that the most effective
measures to combat obesity
include reformulating drinks,
offering smaller portion sizes and
providing better education. “The
reality is that the causes of New
Zealand’s increasing obesity rates
are numerous and complex, and
include the over-consumption of
high-energy processed food, a lack
of physical activity, environmental
factors, parental health and genetic
pre-disposition. It is too simplistic to
blame New Zealand’s obesity rates
solely on sugar. In fact, the intake
of sugar and sugar-sweetened
beverages fell in both New
Zealand and Australia at the same
time as obesity rates have been
increasing. Since 2010, soft drink
consumption has fallen by more
than 4%, while sales of low and
no-sugar beverages have grown by
two-thirds over the past decade,
and government data shows that
just 5% of New Zealand adults'
calories come from non-alcoholic
beverages.”
part of the obesity problem.
AUSTRALIA’S
RESPONSE
Australia’s major beverage
companies have joined
forces to announce an
historic commitment to
reduce sugar across the
industry. The commitment
to reduce sugar by 20% by
2025 has been made by
the Australian Beverages
Council, the peak body
representing the nonalcoholic
beverages
industry. Members include
Coca-Cola South Pacific,
Coca-Cola Amatil, PepsiCo,
Asahi Beverages and Frucor
Suntory. The commitment
applies to all categories
of non-alcoholic drinks
represented by council
members, and include
carbonated soft drinks,
energy drinks, sports
and electrolyte drinks,
frozen drinks, bottled and
packaged waters, juice and
fruit drinks, cordials, iced
teas, ready-to-drink coffees,
flavoured milk products
and flavoured plant milks.
“Australia’s non-alcoholic
beverage industry is serious
about supporting healthier
lifestyles,” council chief
executive Geoff Parker
says. “That’s why leading
beverage companies in
Australia have united for
the first time to commit
to reducing sugar across
the industry. The beverage
sector has an important
role to play in helping
Australians to reduce their
sugar consumption and
we encourage other food
and beverage categories
to take similar action on
this issue in Australia.”
The commitment is the
first example in Australia
where an industry as a
whole has self-regulated
its use of sugar, and the
Australian Government says
it supports considered and
appropriate action to tackle
obesity.
SUGARY DRINKS
7 POINT
CONSENSUS
A consortium of public health
groups is backing a NZ Dental
Association-led seven-point
Consensus Statement on
Sugary Drinks, including
independent monitoring and
evaluation of food and drink
marketing.
• Introducing an icon on drinks
indicating, in teaspoons, the
amount of sugar in each
drink.
• Independent monitoring
and evaluation of food
marketing, with an emphasis
on marketing that influences
children.
• Urging the government to
adopt WHO limit guidelines
on sugar.
• Encouraging public to switch
to water by; introducing
warning labels highlighting
sugary drinks as risk factors
for obesity, diabetes,
and tooth decay, and a
nationwide social marketing
campaigns such as ‘Switch
to Water’.
• Working with schools and
the Ministry of Education
to introduce ‘water only’
policies.
• Introducing local council
‘water only’ policies at
council facilities and events.
• Introduction of a ‘sugary
drinks’ tax in line with WHO
recommendations.
The Consensus Statement
is endorsed by; Activity and
Nutrition Aotearoa (ANA),
Association of Salaried
Medical Specialists, Cancer
Society of New Zealand,
Diabetes New Zealand, Hapai
Te Hauora, NZ Dental & Oral
Health Therapists Association,
NZ Branch of the Australian
and New Zealand Society
of Paediatric Dentistry, NZ
Society of Hospital and
Community Dentistry, Te
Ao Marama, The Heart
Foundation, The Public Health
Association and The Royal
Australasian College of Dental
Surgeons.
SWEET BEVERAGES