It also proposed to reduce the maximum amount of sugar allowed in drinks before manufacturers must pay the tax from 5g to 4g per 100ml.<\/p>\n
When the soft drinks industry levy (SDIL), as it is formally known, was added to pre-packaged drinks in 2018, milk-based products were exempt because it was believed taxing them would lower children\u2019s calcium consumption.<\/p>\n
However, the Treasury now believes that because young people only get 3.5 per cent of their calcium intake from these drinks, any health benefits arguably \u201cdo not justify the harms from excess sugar\u201d.<\/p>\n
The sugar tax has certainly had an impact. Research published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health found that in the three years after it was introduced the total amount of sugar consumed by children fell from 70g to about 45g a day; in adults it dropped from 60g to about 45g a day.<\/p>\n
However, we are still exceeding NHS guidelines of 30g (7.5tsp) of added sugar a day for adults, 24g (6tsp) a day for children aged seven to 10 and 19g (4.75tsp) for children aged four to six. Often, the ramifications are serious.<\/p>\n
Sugary drinks<\/a> are not only linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, weight gain and tooth decay. Studies also suggest that consumption may reduce fertility in men and women and raise the risk of developing any kind of cancer. \u201cIt\u2019s easy to drink more sugar than we realise because drinks aren\u2019t as filling as food and often don\u2019t register as being unhealthy in the way that, say, a cream cake would,\u201d says nutritionist Laura Southern, founder of London Food Therapy.<\/p>\n So how much sugar is in your favourite drink? The answers may surprise you.<\/p>\n Oatly Oat Drink, 3.4g sugar per 100ml<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cOat drinks are high in processed starch that is quickly absorbed, leading to rapid blood sugar spikes<\/a>,\u201d says Southern. \u201cA splash of oat milk in your tea or coffee isn\u2019t awful, but an oat milk latte \u2013 which can contain 200ml of oat milk \u2013 is not a health drink.\u201d<\/p>\n San Pellegrino Limonata, 4.5g sugar per 100ml<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cWith its upmarket Mediterranean connotations, this lemonade might seem a wholesome alternative to a can of Fanta, but it contains just as much sugar, with around 4tsp per can,\u201d says Southern (Fanta contains 4.5g sugar per 100ml). \u201cIt also contains sweetener, which some research shows increases cravings for sweet foods.\u201d With its current recipe, this drink would be affected by the new extended sugar tax \u2013 the Government plans to lower the threshold at which it kicks in to 4g sugar per 100ml.<\/p>\n Barefoot White Zinfandel, 3.8g sugar per 100ml<\/strong><\/p>\n A wine\u2019s sugar content varies not so much according to its colour as whether it is dry or sweet, and \u201ccompared to many soft drinks, wine isn\u2019t loaded with sugar\u201d, says Southern. \u201cBut the alcohol will reduce your willpower, making late-night crisp cravings more likely, and risks ruining your sleep, so you\u2019re more likely to chase sugary foods the next day.\u201d<\/p>\n Becks Blue, 0.2g sugar per 100ml<\/strong><\/p>\n Generally, both beer and alcohol-free beer are surprisingly low in sugar \u2013 although it varies from brand to brand<\/a>. \u201cWe\u2019re more likely to get a \u2018beer belly\u2019 from the way alcohol changes our body fat distribution around the middle than the content of the drink itself,\u201d says Southern. \u201cI suspect the alcoholic version of Becks is even lower in sugar at 0.1g per 100ml because alcohol uses sugar as its food source in the fermentation process.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Remedy](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/SEI_249318043.jpg\")
The fermentation involved in making kombucha reduces sugar \u2013 Remedy\u2019s has none<\/p>\n
![\"Costa](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/SEI_249343500.jpg\")
Costa\u2019s Chai Latte contains 7tsp of sugar per 366ml serving<\/p>\n