Recipe for Change is a campaign calling for a new industry levy to help make our food healthier, while raising revenue that can be invested back into children’s health. Our representation to the Spring Budget 2024 recommends that HM Treasury reviews the best mechanisms for healthier food and drink production beyond the Soft Drinks Industry (SDIL), as well as maintaining and extending SDIL.

Poor population health is increasingly damaging our economy, reducing our participation in the workforce and our productivity, and increasing the need for medical attention, social care and welfare support. For example, the total economic impact of obesity and overweight in the UK is estimated to be £98 billion per year and four of the top five risk factors for poor health are related to diet.

Our recommendations for the Spring Budget 2024:

• Issue a call for evidence on measures to incentivise healthier food and drink production beyond the Soft Drinks Industry Levy, including use of further financial levers.
• Maintain and extend the Soft Drinks Industry Levy to incentivise product reformulation and raise revenues for investment in children’s health:
  • Announce an intention to uprate the liability under the Levy starting no later than April 2025.
  • Announce an intention to review the effectiveness of the current tiered approach to the Soft Drinks Industry Levy.
  • Signal intent to initiate a process to bring sugary milk and alternative milk-based drinks into scope of the SDIL.
  • Maintain a commitment to ensuring revenues from SDIL and any further healthy food and drink levies support government investment in programmes to support children’s health.