Tax on sweet products: the government is considering a new measure for public health

While the inflation of everyday products continues to squeeze household budgets, the Minister of Purchasing Power, Trade and SMEs, Serge Papin, justified the merits of the debate on a measure which risks increasing the cost of shopping: the tax on sweet products, which the government could present to the Council of Ministers on Thursday. “There is a problem in this country with obesity, diabetes, and therefore excessive sugar consumption,” recalled the former boss of Système U on the LCI set this Wednesday morning.

Serge Papin, however, assures that he is not “for taxes”, any more than he is “for the increase” in the price of food products. But “there is debate,” assures the minister, particularly for young people, who are primarily affected by overconsumption of sugar. “A 9-year-old child today has eaten as much sugar as his grandfather during his entire life,” argues the minister. At the same time, he admits that “defining what a sweet product is” will be a matter for public debate.

Concretely, the sugar tax, which could bring the State nearly 200 million euros in revenue in 2027 if it is adopted in the final version of the budget, would specifically target processed foods containing the most sugar: cake, spreads, or even carrot puree. The latter could therefore cost more on the shelves - a way of dissuading their excessive consumption and thus improving public health. The principle would be the same as the soda tax applied to sodas, and which has not, for the moment, “radically modified” consumer behavior, according to Mathieu Plane of the French Observatory of Economic Conditions (OFCE).