A new ‘fat tax’ imposed by the French government on sugary soft drinks has been criticised by the Coca Cola Company for “stigmatising” its products.
The new tax, which will add around 1p to a can of fizzy drink, was given the green light in late December. Zero-calorie drinks will be exempt from the tax.
The French government says that revenues raised by the new tax will be used to lower social security charges for farm workers.
But the tax has been attacked by leading beverage firms including Cola Cola. The US drinks giant recently said it was suspending a planned €17 million investment at a plant in the south of France in “a symbolic protest against a tax that punishes our company and stigmatises our products”.
