Most Brits want a tax on ultra-processed foods

Companies making foods high in sugar or salt should face a new tax, according to a majority of Brits.

A new survey from Ipsos and Health Foundation found 58 per cent said organisations producing ultra-processed and junk food should be taxed, with some revenue channelled to healthier food for poor families.

The think tank told the Guardian the results meant the UK government should be emboldened to take tough action against those making ultra-processed foods.

Labour may also be buoyed by a recent study which found the 2018 sugar tax, introduced on soft drinks with added sugar, led to a nearly 50 per cent reduction in children’s added sugar intake from sodas and other soft drinks.

The main food producers’ trade association, the Food and Drink Federation, has claimed it’s committed to working with government to tackle obesity, which currently costs the UK an estimated £98 billion a year. But it said it would prefer support to “innovate” in developing healthier products.