The levy, which was first announced by the previous Chancellor, will be set at 18 p per litre and 24 p per litre for the two sugar bands at 5 g/100 mL and 8 g/100 mL, respectively.
The soft drink levy appears to have had a effect even before its implementation, as a number of major companies, including Tesco and Lucozade–Ribena–Suntory, have begun work to reformulate their products ahead of the levy. The Treasury now expects more than 40% of drinks that would previously have been eligible for the levy to have been reformulated by April 2018.
Chief Executive of Diabetes UK, Chris Askew, said: “We’re all eating too much sugar, and this can lead to obesity which is a major risk factor in developing type 2 diabetes. The soft drinks industry levy is an important measure to help reduce the nation’s sugar consumption.
“We will continue to work with and encourage manufacturers to ensure people living with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, who may use high-sugar products to treat low blood glucose, are kept in the loop of any changes to these goods. However, we urge people to read labels carefully before using any products to treat a hypo.”
