Indonesia might be taking a novel approach to implementing a sugar tax: if a proposal in front of parliament goes ahead, it will lump an additional levy on soft drinks in with environmental protection measures to fill a gaping hole in public finances.
Dover Corporation has acquired Systech International (Systech), which will now join Markem-Imaje, product identification and traceability business, as part of Dover’s Imaging and Identification segment.
Carbonated beverages sweetened with sugar, natural or artificial sweeteners will be taxed in British Columbia under the Provincial Sales Tax Act as of July this year.
The sale of alcohol in the US passes through a three-tiered system: producers, distributors and retailers. For years this has impacted alcohol’s digital presence, forcing consumers to shop brick-and-mortar or turn to third parties.
Sugary drink consumption in Chile fell nearly a quarter after the country introduced a raft of regulatory measures on foods high in sugar, fat, salt and calorie content. The affect was slightly greater among middle and high socioeconomic groups.
Carlsberg's alcohol-free brews increased 7% in volume in 2019. Craft brands also delivered well with a 16% jump, against a backdrop of core beer falling 1%.
The National Coffee Association is pushing back against the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s plan to evaluate the health impact of drinking coffee with “enhancers,” such as cream and sugar, for fear that it will “confound” the assessment of...
Makers of the Brizzy hard seltzer drink have filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Molson Coors, who plans to release a hard seltzer called Vizzy this year.
By Steve Spice, Regulatory Manager at Ashbury Labelling
'Alcohol-free' in the EU means drinks with 0.5% ABV or below - and yet in the UK 'alcohol-free' drinks must be below 0.05% ABV. Steve Spice, Regulatory Manager at Ashbury Labelling looks at the different low and no alcohol descriptors...
The amount of alcohol sold in Scotland has fallen since the introduction of minimum unit pricing (MUP) in May 2018, according to the first analysis of off-trade alcohol sales in the first full year of MUP.
Many APAC governments have explored sugar taxes to some extent over the past few years, but experts now say that although on the surface these appear to have been effective in driving reformulation, consumer behaviour and not taxation is likely to be...
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) calls time on Bounce Back Drinks after the Scottish firm claims in an advertorial that its “After-Alcohol Revival Drink” can prevent, treat or cure hangovers.
Introducing a minimum unit price (MUP) of $1.30 per standard drink across Australia could dramatically reduce alcohol consumption, claim researchers who argue that the affordability of booze has remained unchanged in 30 years.
An Oxford University study has found the total amount of sugar sold in soft drinks in the UK dropped by 29% between 2015-2018. “Sustained pressure on business, including fiscal measures, has led to a striking reduction,” say the researchers.
Fourpure Brewing Company has been told to redesign its Juicebox Citrus IPA can after the UK’s alcohol industry regulator deemed it could appeal to children.
Craft brewers and importers will not face a $130m tax increase in 2020 thanks to a one-year extension of relief from the the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act.
By Rachel Arthur, Elaine Watson, Niamh Michail, Gary Scattergood, Flora Southey
Sugar taxes continue to hit the headlines, so we take a spin around the globe to look at some of the markets where taxes have been introduced or are under debate.
An advert for a BrewDog alcohol-free beer - containing the tagline 'Sober as a motherfu' - has been banned by the UK’s advertising watchdog: with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) saying it was likely to cause 'serious and widespread'...
The Food Standards Australia New Zealand’s (FSANZ) recent banning of products with pure and high caffeine concentrations will not affect non-alcoholic beverages such as soft drinks and energy drinks, but more stringent import rules may become applicable.
This January, the Korean new year might not only have lost the skimpy calendars manufacturers have become famous for, it might even see the end of alcohol advertising that is traditionally crammed with K-pop starlets.
With trendy plant-based alternatives such as soy milk or almond milk, consumers often find a health halo around indulgent coffee shop drinks. But festive favourites such as hot chocolate and sweetly-spiced lattes contain ‘huge’ amounts of sugar, says...
The US Food and Drug Administration has stated that it cannot conclude that CBD (cannabidiol) is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for its use in human food, based on a “lack of scientific information supporting the safety of CBD in food”.
Panama passed a new law this week that creates a national health improvement action plan and increases taxes on the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages.
The EU and China have concluded negotiations on a bilateral agreement to protect 100 European Geographical Indications in China; and 100 Chinese Geographical Indications in the EU.
Docklight Brands is on its way to having a complete portfolio of CBD brands, including several beverages, edibles and skincare topicals. CEO Damian Marano is trying to cross categories and be the first total consumer products company in CBD.
Kezzler has expanded its serialization and traceability operations by opening an office in Singapore, appointing Pengfei Zhang as director of pre-sales and delivery.
ABB Distribution Solutions has redesigned its low-voltage switchgear to launch NeoGear across Europe in 2020, following trials in Switzerland and China.
Tea Board India has warned manufacturers and sellers of tea and related products that adulterating teas with any form of artificial colouring will see legal action being enforced, stating that there is ‘no provision’ of any sort for using colour in tea.
Singapore will become the first country in the world to ban adverts for high sugar drinks, as part of measures to reduce sugar intake from sugar-sweetened beverages.
England’s outgoing Chief Medical Officer says the Soft Drinks Industry Levy has been successful in reducing sugar in children’s drinks: and is calling for the levy to be extended to milk-based drinks.
The Philippines Senate panel has recommended that a bill to increase taxes on alcohol and other ‘sin’ products under Phase 2 of the controversial TRAIN law be passed, amidst government lauding of the first phase’s success.
Manufacturers in the carton industry are concerned that confusion remains over the compostability of cartons, MOSH (Mineral Oil Saturated Hydrocarbons) and MOAH (Mineral Oil Aromatic Hydrocarbons) and the SUP (Single-Use Plastics) directive on coated...
The University of Applied Sciences, Vienna has updated its Circular Packaging Design Guidelines ‘given the challenges of certain packaging for recyclability’.
Minimum unit pricing appears to have reduced the amount of alcohol purchased by Scottish households by 7.6%, according to a study published in the BMJ this week.
An advert for a Scottish gin brand, which depicted a group drinking gin after reaching a mountain peak, has been banned by the UK’s advertising watchdog.
Public Health England’s latest progress report on the food and drink industry’s sugar cutting efforts reveal significant changes in areas where the sugar tax applies, but a disappointing lack of progress with the voluntary sugar reduction programme.
By Steve Perez, founder and chairman, Global Brands
A new report from the Social Market Foundation for reforming alcohol duty in the UK is welcome. However, Brexit won’t create a realistic opportunity for changing alcohol taxes to encourage more responsible drinking. This requires a change in Government...
Should alcohol cost more in supermarkets? Should duty be determined solely by alcohol strength and not by product type? A UK think tank is exploring how alcohol duty could be reformed to focus taxation where health and social harms from alcohol are the...
Taxing high sugar snacks – such as sweets, cakes and biscuits – may be more effective at reducing obesity than taxing sugary drinks, according to a new study published in the BMJ.
By Doug Bania, Nevium Intellectual Property Consultants
Rock ‘n’ roll and craft brewing were born out of the same spirit of independence, making them ripe for the type of crossover you sometimes see between the music and alcohol industries. But behind every seemingly rebellious rock band is a brand that has...
Having assessed the effects of energy drinks on the cardiovascular system, the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment warns that excessive consumption can pose a health risk in young adults.
The World Health Organization says that – based on the information available – ‘microplastics in drinking water don’t appear to pose a health risk at current levels’. But it emphasises that more research is urgently needed.
