French Lawmakers Approve New Sugar Taxes in Health Bill

The French National Assembly has adopted amendments to increase taxes on sugary drinks and introduce new levies on added sugars in processed foods.

The National Assembly initially rejected but later passed a reform of the 'soda tax,' reducing tax brackets from sixteen to three to curb sugar content in beverages.
An additional amendment, led by ecologist Sabrina Sebaihi, imposes a tax on added sugars in processed foods, excluding sugary drinks.
These measures aim to combat rising obesity and diabetes rates in France, with obesity affecting over 14% of the population by 2017.
Despite government backing, the amendments may face challenges in the Senate or could be overridden if the government invokes Article 49.3 to pass the budget.
Industrial food producers are also required to display Nutri-Score ratings in advertisements, with penalties for non-compliance.