Colombia passes ambitious 'junk food law' to tackle lifestyle diseases

Source: The Guardian

Colombia passes ambitious ‘junk food law’ to tackle lifestyle diseases

The Latin American country is one of the first in the world to introduce a health tax targeting ultra-processed foods

Weronika Strzyżyńska
Fri 10 Nov 2023 14.08 GMT
Last modified on Fri 10 Nov 2023 14.10 GMT

A new law in Colombia making it one of the first countries in the world to explicitly tax ultra-processed food has been hailed by campaigners and health experts who say it could set an example for other countries.

After years of campaigning, the “junk food law” came into force this month and a levy will be introduced gradually. An additional tax on affected foods will begin at 10% immediately, rising to 15% next year and reaching 20% in 2025.

“Countries around the world have been implementing health taxes, for example by taxing tobacco or sugary drinks, but few have extended them to processed foods,” said Franco Sassi, international health policy and economics professor at London’s Imperial College Business School. “Colombia’s model is more expansive than what we have seen before and could serve as an example to other countries.”

The tax targets ultra-processed products defined as industrially manufactured ready-to-eat foods, as well as those high in salt and saturated fat, such as chocolates or crisps. Sassi said some compromises had been made with the food industry, such as excluding certain processed foods, for example sausages, from the tax.

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Original Guardian link (registration required): https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/nov/10/colombia-junk-food-tax-improve-health-acc