Researchers urge extension of sugar tax to sweets and chocolate

Limerick researchers have called for the Sugar Sweetened Drinks Tax (SSDT) to be extended to cover confectionery, sweets and chocolate.

The analysis, conducted by teams from the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) and the University of Limerick (UL), found that a single packet of biscuits can contain over 1,500 calories and be sold for as little as €0.55. Buying more than 25 packets of popular biscuits such as Custard Creams and Bourbon Creams would provide around 40,000 calories – enough to sustain an average person for almost 20 days.

Jennifer Moran Stritch, principal investigator at TUS, said the findings were “quite shocking”, highlighting the low cost and high calorie content of these products for children and young people. Dr Frank Houghton, leading the HEALR research group, warned that such affordable, high‑calorie foods contribute to “obesogenic environments”.

The researchers argue that any revenue from a broadened sugar tax should be ring‑fenced for obesity treatment, prevention services and community food projects such as allotments and orchards. They note that the existing drink tax, introduced in 2018, cut sugar intake from fizzy drinks by up to 30 percent and now raises about €30 million a year.

With 35.1 % of Irish adults overweight and 23.8 % obese, and roughly 20 % of children overweight or obese, the team says extending the tax is essential for public health.

Source: Limerick Post. Photo: Nataliya Vaitkevich / Pexels.