UK food giant calls for higher taxes on fat, sugar and salt

One ​​of the country's biggest food companies says ministers should consider taxing products high in fat, sugar or salt to tackle the obesity crisis .

Danone UK & Ireland, which sells yoghurt drink brand Actimel, says government intervention is needed to ensure consumers have healthier products. He says some food companies in the UK have not shown "enough appetite for change".

James Mayer, President of Danone UK and Ireland, said: "The UK food industry's efforts to improve the health profile of their products have not been fast enough.

We have reached a point where a Meaningful government intervention is a necessary course of action."

This is the first time a major food company has called for urgent government action in the face of rising food prices. Obesity rates The England Health Survey for 2021 found 64% of adults were overweight or obese.

Danone UK's response and Ireland comes after Rishi Sunak, the prime minister, said last week that the latest obesity drugs could be a game-changer. Ministers are now under pressure to see if they could take more effective action to prevent obesity.

Henry Dimbleby, the government's former food adviser , resigned earlier this year, saying ministers had failed to impose necessary regulations on the food industry. A proposed ban on TV ads for sugary and fatty foods before 9 p.m. has been delayed until October 2025.

Mayer said: "It's time the government gave up a policy that favors attention to whoever sets clear parameters for industry and consumers as to what constitutes a healthy product. img alt="KitKat Breakfast Cereals" src="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/1ded70e55c56cb3e05c9f5bc7e6ecbe3ada43877 /41_117_1206_1048/master/1206.jpg?width=445&quality=85&dpr=1&s=none" width="445" height="386.69983416252074" loading="lazy" class="dcr-evn1e9"/>