LONDON, Nov 26: The UK government announced Tuesday that milkshakes, coffee drinks, and plant-based milk substitutes will be brought under the country’s sugar tax from January 1, 2028, in a renewed effort to tackle rising obesity rates.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting told the House of Commons that companies producing these drinks must reduce sugar content or face the levy, officially known as the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL). “Obesity robs children of the best possible start in life, hits the poorest hardest, sets them up for a lifetime of health problems, and costs the NHS billions,” he said.

Introduced in April 2018 by the Conservative government, the sugar tax currently applies to pre-packaged soft drinks with added sugar sold in cans, bottles, and cartons in supermarkets. The extension will now include milk-based drinks with added sugar, such as bottled milkshakes and coffee drinks, as well as milk substitutes like soya, oat, and rice milks containing added sugars.

Milk-based drinks were previously exempt because of their calcium content, which is encouraged in children’s diets. The government will now introduce a “lactose allowance” to account for naturally occurring milk sugars, ensuring only added sugars trigger the tax. Drinks prepared and served in cafés, restaurants, and bars, as well as plain milk, pure fruit juices, and unsweetened plant-based milks, remain exempt. Alcohol-free beer, infant formula, powdered drinks, and open-container cocktails or mocktails are also excluded.

Currently, the SDIL charges 19.4p per litre on drinks with at least 5g of sugar per 100ml and 25.9p per litre on drinks with 8g or more. The government is lowering the threshold to 4.5g per 100ml. The levy has already reduced sugar content in affected soft drinks by 46%, with nearly 90% of the market now below the taxable level.

Despite these reductions, sugar intake in the UK remains high. Free sugars should make up no more than 5% of daily energy intake, but average consumption is double this, with obesity rates in children and adults continuing to rise. Nearly two-thirds of UK adults are overweight or obese.

The National Diet and Nutrition Survey shows children aged 1.5–3 consume an average of 45g of free sugar per day (about 11 sugar cubes), 4–10 year olds consume 55g, and teenagers 11–18 years old consume 70g (17 sugar cubes). Less than a third of children under three meet recommended sugar limits. Fruit juices and smoothies contribute 12% of free sugars in the youngest children and 15% in 4–10 year olds.

NHS guidance recommends adults consume no more than 30g of free sugars daily, equivalent to seven sugar cubes, with lower limits for children depending on age. The government’s expansion of the sugar levy reflects ongoing concern over excessive sugar consumption and its links to obesity and long-term health issues.