Soft Drinks

Cott has launched zero sugar cola in Spar stores nationwide

Cott’s sugar-free cola hits Spar stores

By Gwen Ridler

Drinks maker Cott has secured listings for its zero-sugar cola at Spar, making it the first symbol group to launch an own-label sugar-free cola, it has claimed.

How can UK plastic bottles end up in the Pacific Ocean? asks Lucozade boss

Soft drinks boss argues for more action on waste plastics

By Noli Dinkovski

The boss of a leading soft drinks company has called on both industry and government to do more to tackle plastic packaging waste, after acknowledging its impact on the marine environment was not sustainable.

The sugar tax on soft drinks will be set at two bands – 5g and 8g per 100ml

Sugar tax needs to offer more incentive, claims IFS

By Rick Pendrous

The tax on soft drinks, which comes into force in April 2018, needs to be changed to give manufacturers more incentive to reduce the sugar in their products, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has argued.

The soft drinks tax could be extended to cakes, confectionery and pastry after a two-year review

Tax on sugary drinks may be extended after review

By Rick Pendrous

The sugar tax on soft drinks, which was passed by parliament on Tuesday [April 25] and will come into force next April, could be extended to a raft of other food and drink products, following news that its effectiveness on reducing obesity – particularly...

Wincanton has taken over the Britvic logistics contract

Britvic signs transport contract with Wincanton

By Rick Pendrous

Britvic, one of the UK’s leading branded soft drinks businesses, has placed a new contract for national transport operations for an undisclosed value, managing over 100,000 deliveries a year, with third-party logistics (3PL) firm Wincanton.

The tax on sugary drinks is not enought to curb obesity in the UK: Susan Jebb

Sugar tax ‘not enough’ to solve obesity crisis

By Gwen Ridler

The UK soft drinks levy could prevent thousands of people becoming overweight, but it alone is not enough to solve Britain’s obesity crisis, a study by health journal The Lancet Public Health has claimed.

A review of pay scales at Cott Beverages could see skilled workers worse off, claimed a workers' representative

Pay fears for drinks factory staff

By Gwen Ridler

Pay restructuring at Cott Beverages’ West Yorkshire drinks factory could cut skilled workers’ wages, according to employees at the site.

J2O maker Britvic reported a profit rise of 10.3% in its full-year trading update

Sweet results for Britvic focusing on low sugar drinks

By Matt Atherton

Soft drinks firm Britvic reported a 10.1% rise in annual sales revenue to £1.43bn, boosted by growth in its no and low sugar drinks, as the manufacturer strived to reduce sugar content before the sugar tax is introduced in April 2018.

The NHS's planned sugar tax for its hospitals could not be justified, according to BSDA boss

NHS sugar tax not ‘justified’: BSDA boss

By Gwen Ridler

National Health Service (NHS) plans to introduce a sugar soft drinks ban or tax in its hospitals could not be “justified”, according to British Soft Drinks Association (BSDA) boss.

Tesco is to reduce the amount of sugar in all of its own-label soft drinks

Tesco reduces sugar in own-label drinks

By Gwen Ridler

Tesco is to reduce the sugar content in all of its own-label soft drinks in a bid to offer healthier choices to its customers, it claimed.

Children are eating twice as much sugar as their recommended daily allowance

Sugar intake in children is double daily allowance

By Matt Atherton

Children between the ages of four and 10 are consuming twice as much sugar as their recommended daily allowance, despite intake from sugar-sweetened soft drinks falling, according to Public Health England (PHE) figures.

Bottle filling flexibility has been highlighted by Sidel

Carbonated drinks get filling flexibility

By Rick Pendrous

Bottle filling accuracy, along with production flexibility and sustainability are crucial for the packaging of carbonated soft drinks (CSD) in polyethylene terephthalate (PET), claims equipment supplier Sidel.

A third of children are obese or overweight when they leave primary school

Obesity strategy is badly ‘flawed’ claim critics

By Rick Pendrous

The government’s much delayed childhood obesity strategy, published today (August 18) by the Department of Health, has received a mixed response from health lobby groups and the food industry alike, with neither side feeling it provides a truly holistic...

A coalition of businesses leaders, led by the BSDA, is campaigning to block the UK sugar tax on soft drinks

Coalition formed to block UK sugar tax

By Gwen Ridler

Business leaders in the food and drink industry have formed a coalition to oppose the UK soft drinks tax, following a report that claimed the tax would place 4,000 jobs at risk and wipe £132M from the economy.

The soft drinks sugar tax could cost Coca-Cola £226M a year

Coca-Cola could face £226M sugar tax

By Gwen Ridler

The Coca-Cola Company could face a bill as high as £226M a year under the sugar tax, if it doesn’t pass on the increased charge for its sugary drinks to consumers, according to market research firm Euromonitor.

The sugar tax poses more questions than answers said Dominic Watkins

Sugar tax is destined to fail, claims legal expert

By Noli Dinkovski

The proposed sugar tax on soft drinks is likely to fail in its intended aim of reducing calorie intake as consumers will simply trade down to cheaper, own-label variants, a leading legal food specialist has claimed.

The Queen's Speech sets out the government's plans for the year ahead

Food and drink firms welcome Queen’s Speech – mostly

By Michael Stones

Government plans to support business, education and the economy – set out in the Queen’s Speech – have been welcomed by food and drink manufacturers. But plans to introduce a sugar tax continued to draw criticism from the Food and Drink Federation (FDF).

Health officials in Liverpool have estimated the sugar content of popular soft drinks

Health officials in Liverpool name sugary soft drinks

By Michelle Perrett

Public health officials in Liverpool are to be the first to name leading soft drink brands – such as Lucozade, Coca-Cola, Tropicana, Capri-Sun and Ribena – warning how many sugar cubes are in each drink.

Rick Pendrous

Sugar soft drinks tax: a ‘dead cat’ distraction

By Rick Pendrous

George Osborne’s announcement of a sugar tax on soft drinks in last month's budget took everyone by complete surprise. Cynics were quick to accuse him of blatantly trying to deflect attention from declining growth forecasts.

The Chancellor's sugar tax budget bombshell could result in legal action

Sugar tax

Sugar tax could spark industry legal action

By Michelle Perrett

Soft drinks companies are looking into options, including legal action, in the wake of the government plans to introduce a soft drinks tax.

The sugar shock budget announcement has dismayed and delighted in equal measure

Sugar tax

Budget shock: sugar tax on soft drinks

By Michael Stones

A surprise tax on sugary soft drinks to tackle childhood obesity, unveiled in Chancellor George Osborne’s budget, has dismayed manufacturers but delighted campaigners, including celebrity chef Jamie Oliver.

Taxing question: should hospital staff and visitors could face a sugar tax on vended food and drink?

NHS sugar tax proposals are panned

By Noli Dinkovski

Plans by the National Health Service (NHS) to introduce a sugar tax on food and drink sold in its hospitals has been heavily criticised by industry trade bodies.

Soft drinks: industry has reduced sugar intake by 7.5% in recent years

Sugary drinks study slammed by food industry

By Noli Dinkovski

A new study that claims reducing the sugar content of sugar-sweetened drinks could prevent 1.5M cases of obesity and overweightness has been dismissed  as “fanciful” and “contrary to the evidence” by the food industry.

Hard to swallow: two-thirds think taxing sugary drinks would penalise most people who drink responsibly

Sugar tax

Most consumers say ‘No thanks’ to drinks sugar tax

By Michael Stones

More than two-thirds of British adults believe a tax on sugar-sweetened soft drinks would: penalise most people who consume soft drinks responsibly, rise each year and lead to taxes on other foods, according to an independent poll commissioned by the...

Partington: an overall unhealthy diet and lack of exercise to blame

Heart failure link slammed by soft drinks boss

By Noli Dinkovski

The soft drinks sector has hit out at national media claims that a new study proves a clear link between sweetened drinks and an increased likelihood of heart failure in men.

Action on Sugar revealed 88% of soft drink cans exceed recommended daily intake

Soft drink manufacturers urged to slash sugar levels

By Alice Foster

Soft drink manufacturers worldwide have again been urged to set sugar reduction targets, while the advertising regulator plans to consult on new rules for non-broadcast adverts targeted at children.

Fruit Shoot is one of Britvic's brands

Britvic’s £114M Brazilian buyout to double earnings

By Nicholas Robinson

Britvic’s £114M buyout of the Brazilian soft drinks firm Ebba will provide a significant boost to turnover, the manufacturer announced after revealing third quarter (Q3) revenues up by just 1% to £322.3M.

A 20% tax on sugary drinks would reduce obesity in 180,000 Brits, according to the BMA

20% sugary drinks tax ‘ineffective’, says industry

By Nicholas Robinson

The food and drink industry has slammed the British Medical Association’s (BMA’s) calls for a tax on sugary drinks to fight the UK’s growing obesity crisis, claiming it would be ineffective.