AG Barr expects rise in revenue as sales fizz January 25, 2019 Irn-Bru maker AG Barr has predicted a rise in full-year revenue this morning, despite echoing the fears of many in its industry over the current political and economic uncertainty. The firm said that revenue is expected to be roughly £277m for the year to 26 January, marking a five per cent rise on the previous [...]
Yet more sugar-taxes will leave consumers with a bitter taste January 7, 2019 It's been claimed that Brexit has taken up so much political energy that the government has lost its focus on other areas of policy. But fear not – the slack is being taken up by an army of bureaucrats and campaigners who seek to exert ever more control over our lives. With relentless energy the [...]
Halo Top ice cream defrosted from the startup doldrums to become a retail success December 17, 2018 Junk food is, rightly, under assault. This year, we’ve seen the introduction of a sugar tax on soft drinks, and last month London mayor Sadiq Khan announced a ban on junk food advertising on the capital’s public transportation network. This comes after tougher TV advertising rules introduced last year, which meant that ads for food [...]
Britvic profits fizz in the face of challenging year as low sugar alternatives surge November 29, 2018 Britvic, PepsiCo's UK producer, defied a flat retail market hit by a CO2 shortage this summer to exceed expectations in its full year results, giving share prices a five per cent boost. But as traders felt the sugar rush this morning, consumers have done the opposite, moving towards low and zero-sugar alternatives in the wake [...]
Sugar tax raises £154m but the government warns more must be done November 21, 2018 The sugar tax on soft drinks has raised £153.8m since it came into force in April, the government has said. The levy was rolled out seven months ago to help tackle childhood obesity, with revenue used to fund physical education in primary schools. The figure is less than half the original amount estimated when the tax was [...]
DEBATE: With calls to ban milkshakes, is an obsession with ‘public health’ harmful to our personal wellbeing? November 14, 2018 With calls to ban milkshakes, is an obsession with ‘public health’ harmful to our personal wellbeing? Daniel Pryor, head of programmes at the Adam Smith Institute, says YES. Should we ban sugar, spice, and all things nice? The lobby group Action On Sugar thinks so. Its advocates aren’t content to simply jail purveyors of so-called “freakshakes” [...]
Irn-Bru boss delivers the fizz as profits grow despite ‘volatile’ business climate September 25, 2018 Irn-Bru owner A.G. Barr posted a rise in both pre-tax profits and revenue in the first six months of 2018, fighting off a number of challenges to the soft drinks industry. The FTSE 250 firm reported profits before tax of £18.2m in the first-half of 2018, rising four per cent from the same period [...]
Why a sugar tax is not the solution to the UK’s obesity epidemic July 13, 2015 Doctors in Britain calling for a tax on sugar-sweetened drinks in order to combat obesity have come up against opposition who say the tax would be both regressive and ineffective. Under recommendations by the British Medical Association (BMA), a tax of 20 per cent would be applied to sugary drinks to dissuade consumers and push [...]
Government minister George Freeman threatens food companies with sugar tax May 21, 2015 Sugary foods may be taxed to cover the costs of treating obesity, a government minister has said. George Freeman, the life sciences minister, said yesterday that food companies should know that if they produce food that could lead to poor lifestyles and ill health, they may face penalties. In doing so, Freeman contradicted health secretary [...]
Resist temptation: A sugar tax won’t make us healthy March 5, 2014 THE RECENT suggestion by the chief medical officer Sally Davies that “we may need to introduce a sugar tax” is a tribute to the extraordinary media profile of Action on Sugar, the latest pressure group to blame a single ingredient for people being overweight. Previous targets include saturated fat and salt, but it is now [...]