Britain Takes Even Bigger Bite Out of Sugar With Milk Drink Tax

Key TakeawaysThe U.K. is including more milk-based sugary drinks in its sugar tax The original tax forced many manufacturers to halve the sugar content in high sugar beverages to avoid the taxThis new policy prevents thousands of childhood obesity cases annually, according to researchers.TUESDAY, Dec. 2, 2025 (HealthDay News) — The United Kingdom is expanding its battle against high sugar consumption by including more drink products in its national sugar tax.The U.K. Department of Health and Social Care announced the tax will be expanded to sweetened milk-based beverages, including pre-packaged flavored milks and milkshakes, milk-alternative drinks (such as coconut, soy and rice) with added sugar, sweetened yogurt drinks, chocolate milk drinks and some ready-to-drink coffee products, sold in stores.Companies have until January 2028 to comply with the new sugar content requirements or pay the tax.This move continues the nation's effort to combat obesity and reduce sugar-related health issues.In a press release, the government says the changes could slash 17 million calories a day from the nation’s daily sugar intake, helping to prevent cancer, heart disease and stroke, and take pressure off the nation's health system.The U.K.’s original “Soft Drinks Industry Levy,” implemented in 2018, targeted sugary and fizzy soft drinks and achieved notable success — not by collecting revenue — but by getting manufacturers to change their recipes.The tax applies up to 30 cents per liter on drinks containing 8 grams or more of sugar per 100 milliliters.Rather than passing the cost on to customers, many companies cut the sugar content in half to avoid the tax.As a result, many common British sodas and packaged drinks now have significantly lower sugar levels than the identical products sold in the United States, often using artificial sweeteners like aspartame instead.The new guidance also lowers the general sugar-tax threshold for drinks from 5 grams of sugar per 100 milliliters to 4.5 grams, encouraging makers to lower the sugar content even more.Kawther Hashem, a senior lecturer and nutritionist at Queen Mary University of London, who advocated for the tax, explained that sugary drinks were the primary target because of their public health impact.“It was quite clear, the biggest contributor was soft drinks, so let's start with soft drinks,” she told CBS News. She also noted that sugar is "actually, in the U.K., the main reason why children would be admitted to hospital.”Research conducted by the University of Cambridge and published in 2023 in the journal PLOS Medicine suggested the initial tax was already successful in reducing health risks, preventing an estimated 5,000 cases of obesity a year among girls aged 10 and 11 alone, with the most impact in those living in deprived areas.American Jules Dunlop, who lives in the U.K., noticed the health benefits firsthand.She said that when comparing similar items, “If we're comparing junk food to junk food, automatically in the U.K. you're going to get a healthier version of what's available to you in the United States,” she told CBS News. She added that the lower sugar content in British products has given her more energy and clearer skin.While some U.S. cities have introduced soda taxes, a lack of national policy means American manufacturers have little incentive to reformulate their products across the country.U.S. cities that currently apply a soda tax include: Boulder, Colorado; the District of Columbia; Philadelphia; Seattle; and four California cities: Albany, Berkeley, Oakland and San Francisco.More informationThe U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers guidelines and data on healthy nutrition and sugar intake.SOURCES: CBS News, Nov. 29, 2025; Gov.UK, press release, Nov. 25, 2025What This Means For YouConsumers should be aware that the same product brand in the U.S. often has a much higher sugar content than in other countries due to regulatory differences..Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter