Children's Food Campaign reacts to calls to delay sugar tax
In a statement, following the Federation's call to delay the implementation of the sugar tax following the UK's vote to leave the European Union, the Children's Food Campaign said it showed how it put 'short-term profits ahead of long-term physical and economic health'.
Malcolm Clark, co-ordinator of the Children's Food Campaign, said: "The UK's very high levels of childhood obesity, dental decay and diet-related ill-health did not magically decrease after the Brexit vote.
"For the Food and Drink Federation to use the referendum aftermath as an excuse to call for the weakening of the Government's commitment to tackling these problems, shows how quickly they will put short-term profits ahead of the longer-term physical and economic health of the nation. The FDF's stance opposing the Government's sugary drinks industry levy appears unpatriotic, and goes against both expert advice and public sentiment.
"Nobody knows what Brexit will do for food prices, or what the impact the liberalisation of the EU trade rules on sugar from next year will now have. But the evidence since 2008 suggests that in economically uncertain times, consumers are more likely to vote with their wallets - hence why a tax that might increase the cost of sugary drinks can be a particularly useful tool in changing people's purchasing habits."