Key Facts

• The UK government is considering expanding the sugar tax to include milkshakes and other dairy-based drinks.
• Non-dairy substitutes like oat and rice drinks might also be included.
• The sugar tax, introduced in April 2018, is currently applied to fizzy drink manufacturers to discourage high sugar content.
• The maximum amount of sugar limit in drinks may lower from 5g to 4g per 100ml.
• If approved, around 203 pre-packaged milk-based drinks in the market could be affected by the tax, unless they lower their sugar content.
• The original exemption for milk-based drinks was due to concern about calcium intake, especially in children.
• Since the sugar tax's introduction, 89% of soft drinks sold in the UK are not subject to the tax due to recipe changes by manufacturers.
• The sugar tax has raised £1.9 billion since it was implemented in 2018.
• Consultation on these plans will continue until 21 July.