ND1007115

Title: France Adds Tax on Sugary Soda

Description: The country?s so-called ?fat tax? will increase the cost of sweetened beverages like Coca-Cola and Fanta by 3 Euro cents per liter.

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PARIS ? The French will be paying more for sweetened soft drinks thanks to a new ?fat tax,? the Daily Mail reports. The tax hikes the cost of a liter of sugared beverages from 3 to 6 euro cents, which is forecast to raise more than �100 million annually.

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The tax will not apply to no-calorie drinks, such as diet sodas. Driving the tax is the number of French people who are now overweight or obese, which has doubled in 14 years, according to the country?s National Institute for Health and Medical Research. The new tax comes just days after France said it would ration ketchup, mayonnaise and salt in school cafeterias, only serving the condiments when chips (fries) are served once weekly.

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?This project will have both health benefits as children turn away from sugary drinks, and revenue benefits for our core agricultural workforce,? said French MP Gilles Carrez. A spokesman for the country?s ministry of health added, ?We French may be among the least overweight in Europe but we have nothing to be complacent about. Obesity is rising as swiftly in France as it is in other EU countries and action must be taken before it gets any more serious.?

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Revenue from the soda tax will fund lower social security charges for French farm employees. Earlier this week, Denmark?s new tax on foods high in saturated fat went into effect.

Content Subject: International

Formatted Article Date: October 7, 2011

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