Colombia passes ambitious 'junk food law' to tackle lifestyle diseases

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

Colombia passes ambitious ‘junk food law’ to tackle lifestyle diseases

The Latin American country is one of the first in the world to introduce a health tax targeting ultra-processed foods

Weronika Strzyżyńska
Fri 10 Nov 2023 14.08 GMT
Last modified on Fri 10 Nov 2023 14.10 GMT

A new law in Colombia making it one of the first countries in the world to explicitly tax ultra-processed food has been hailed by campaigners and health experts who say it could set an example for other countries.

After years of campaigning, the “junk food law” came into force this month and a levy will be introduced gradually. An additional tax on affected foods will begin at 10% immediately, rising to 15% next year and reaching 20% in 2025.

“Countries around the world have been implementing health taxes, for example by taxing tobacco or sugary drinks, but few have extended them to processed foods,” said Franco Sassi, international health policy and economics professor at London’s Imperial College Business School. “Colombia’s model is more expansive than what we have seen before and could serve as an example to other countries.”

The tax targets ultra-processed products defined as industrially manufactured ready-to-eat foods, as well as those high in salt and saturated fat, such as chocolates or crisps. Sassi said some compromises had been made with the food industry, such as excluding certain processed foods, for example sausages, from the tax.

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Read more: https://archive.li/C4z1D

Original Guardian link (registration required): https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/nov/10/colombia-junk-food-tax-improve-health-acc

[Diamond_Dog]

1. Can anyone see that happening here?

[jimfields33]

3. I hope not. Food's expensive enough.

[Stargazer99]

2. With the strangle hold money and politics have on the average person many more will

suffer at the hands of business. As it is sugar is in everything, if you don't believe me check the labels, you will get a quick education. Trials have proven sugar is more addictive than drugs and in desire for more and bigger profits sugar is added. Also doctors, insurance and pharma would suffer profits if everyone ate well...can't have that!!!

[Aussie105]

4. Junk food by definition isn't healthy for you.

High in sugar and fats, low in complex carbohydrates, protein, fibre and vitamins.

Designed to trigger the famine reaction, the craving for high energy density foods that, in a time of famine, means survival.

But there is money to be made in selling poor quality, cheap to produce fast food.
Then there is money to be made from the decades of bad eating - diet programs, diabetes medications, loose-weight-quick drugs.

Unfortunately there isn't money to be made teaching people how to eat healthy, so it's up to individuals to break out of the cycle.

Let's just say it starts at home.
Parents who shop for healthy foods and eat healthy tend to have kids who are going to grow up healthy.

By all means tax foods based on their sugar and fat content.
And make it a big tax.
Make loading foods with cane sugar/corn syrup fructose and animal fats unprofitable.