The sugar levy has made life more difficult for those with Phenylketonuria (PKU), and there are fears over incoming increases to the levy.
Announced in last week’s budget was an increase in tax on sugary soft drinks. The chancellor Rachael Reeves announced the increase in soft drink levy, amounting to a possible 13p increase to a can of full sugar cola. The soft drinks levy was first introduced in 2018, but has remained static and not accounted for inflation in the proceeding six years. The chancellor’s plan will raise a projected additional £20 million in revenue each year.
But in an exclusive interview with Old Street News, Tom Chimiak, trustee of the National Society for Phenylketonuria, stated that manufacturers will simply “reformulate their drinks which would typically include them using sweeteners like aspartame”. People with PKU cannot process this chemical sweetener, and so must avoid soft drinks and other products containing it.
Tom states that “three quarters of the fizzy drinks” are unavailable to those with PKU, severely limiting choice. The consequences can be severe, with aspartame “toxic to our body to to consume” resulting in “brain damage or mental deterioration”.
In a study published in 2021, 81% of respondents stated manufacturers changing recipies was responsible for accidental consumption, and that 68% of respondents claimed to hgave accidentally consumed soft drinks containing aspartame.
Health groups however have welcomed the changes, with Diabetes UK announcing on X they were “pleased to see some progress towards our asks”. However, they called for further changes, including extending the levy to cover milkshakes.
Drinks consisting of 75% milk are exempt from the levy, and there are no immediate plans by the government to extend the levy to milk containing drinks. However the policy will be looked at in subsequent budgets. In response, Dairy UK Chief Executive Judith Bryans said:
“Extending the levy to include all milk-based drinks, regardless of their milk content, would be counterproductive and could have unintended consequences for nutritional health. It also ignores the presence of naturally occurring sugars like lactose, which contribute to overall sugar content but are not a public health concern.”
“We will be working with the Treasury as part of their review and will continue to advocate that milk-based drinks with over 75% milk content remain excluded from any expansion of the levy – in light of the rich health and nutritional benefits they can deliver.”
Tom raised concerns about the levy being extended to milkshakes, stating that these are often used by those with PKU looking to avoid nutritional defecits associated with the condition. “If we’re taking in less calories, and getting in less vitamins and nutrients
into our bodies we’ve got to find that somewhere”.
Retailers and manufactures appeared unfazed by the announcement. Andrew Opie, Director of Food and Sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, said:
“The soft drink levy is well established and many retailers and brands have already reduced the amount of sugar in their soft drinks, meaning the levy is not applied. Customers will continue to have the choice to pay slightly more for soft drinks included in the levy, or opt for ‘diet’ or reduced sugar alternatives.”
Suzanne Ford, Dietitian Advisor for NSPKU, National Society for Phenylketonuria, said: “Policy makers and industry should ensure that the quality of life of people with rare conditions such as PKU is not compromised through their action.”
Asked for a final thought, Tom asked simply for “consideration”, stating that many may not “understand what its like not being able to have any choice” when it comes to grocery shopping.