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Sugary drinks are made more expensive in many countries with taxes – which often leads to less sugar in the drinks. In Switzerland, parliament still wants nothing to do with a sugar tax.
Manufacturers of beverages and sweets can continue to use as much sugar as they want in Switzerland. After the Council of States, the National Council also rejects strict rules for the food industry. The state initiative to “limit the sugar content in industrially produced drinks and processed foods” was almost unanimously rejected by the SVP, FDP, Mitte and GLP in the National Council and was thus scuttled.
A second initiative from the canton of Fribourg, which wanted to make information on the sugar content on packaging mandatory, had just as few chances.
Sugar tax common in many places abroad
Laws have been created around the world in recent years to reduce the amount of sugar in food. Mexico, India and South Africa have introduced an additional tax on sweet drinks. In Europe, for example, France, Spain and Great Britain have this “sugar drink tax”.
This tax is often graded: the higher the sugar content per liter, the more tax the manufacturer pays per bottle sold. In France, for example, a beverage manufacturer pays around 20 cents in tax per liter of sweetened beverage.
It is true that these costs are usually passed on to the customers, making the drinks more expensive. As a result, sweet sodas are less affordable, especially for those on lower incomes. This disadvantage is described by some studies in the case of sugar as quite desirable. After all, soft drinks and being overweight are a big problem for low-income earners from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds.
Legend:
The Swiss population consumes an average of 25 sugar cubes per person per day. That’s twice the amount of sugar recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Keystone/EPA/ALEX HOFFORD
Switzerland relies on voluntariness
Health Minister Alain Berset proclaimed the “Milan Declaration” in 2015. 14 Swiss food manufacturers and retailers – including Migros, Coop, Kellog and Nestlé – signed a commitment to voluntary sugar reduction. According to the federal government, a success: the content of added sugar in yoghurt has fallen by 5 percent since 2018 and by 13 percent in breakfast cereals.
If we make new regulations now, it could slow down the positive momentum.
Two weeks ago, ten beverage manufacturers signed the same declaration of intent, including Coca-Cola, Ramseier and Rivella. “A lot is being done at the moment and many players are taking part,” says National Councilor Alois Huber (SVP/AG). “If we make new regulations now, that could slow down the positive momentum.”
The latest figures from the market research company “Euromonitor International” suggest that the consumption of sugar and sweeteners in Switzerland actually fell by 600 tons between 2021 and 2022.
Reduction takes too long for the left
“The voluntary reduction does not work at all,” says National Councilor Manuela Weichelt-Picard (Greens / ZG). In view of the many widespread diseases for which sugar is blamed, the reduction in sugar is going far too slowly.
“Beverage manufacturers simply create a few new products with zero sugar – but they keep the old beverages on the market with the same recipe and sell them on the same scale.” Weichelt is convinced that there will be no getting around limits and advertising bans.
The voluntary reduction does not work at all.
Despite the recent rejection, new political forays into sugar from the political left can be expected in the near future.