The CEO of one of the largest food companies in the UK has called for greater taxes on salty, fatty, and sugary meals.
According to James Mayer, who manages Danone in the UK and Irish Republic, food producers have not showed “enough appetite to change.”
The French company is most known for its yoghurt brands, but it also owns Evian and Volvic bottled water brands.
He claimed that the so-called “sin” levies would effect only 10% of Danone’s own products.
“The UK food industry’s efforts to improve the health profile of its products have not moved fast enough,” Mr Mayer said.
Mayer believes “meaningful intervention” by the government is now needed.
“We see this as the only way industry as a whole will be incentivised to move towards healthier, more sustainable products over the often cheaper but unhealthy alternatives,” Mr Mayer said.
The United Kingdom implemented a “sugar tax” on soft drinks in 2018, but has resisted more recent plans to levy further charges on other unhealthy products, instead relying on manufacturers to participate in voluntary schemes to decrease salt, fat, and sugar.