Fisco, Assobibe: ‘At the end of 2022 in Italy – 37% sugars in soft drinks’

“For some time, Italian consumers have consistently reduced the consumption of sugary drinks and Italy is the European country with the lowest consumption of soft drinks”. This is what the president of Assobibe Giangiacomo Pierini says, commenting on the results of a research conducted by Nomisma on behalf of Assobibe on the sugar tax. “In addition, the calorie-free versions of soft drinks have grown by 74% in ten years. – observes Pierini – In parallel, the companies have embarked on a path with the Ministry of Health to reduce the sugar content released for consumption by 27% and a a further 10% cut is expected in 2022, and therefore we will reach -37% of sugars released for consumption in the last 8 years “. Among other things, the sugar tax, Pierini points out, “also affects sugar-free products, thus humiliating investments in innovation made by companies operating in Italy”. “In this context, it really makes no sense to demonize a single product, which moreover – he adds – represents the Italian tradition, pretending not to know that 99% of the sugar intake comes from other sources. The fight against obesity is a priority and for this reason we cannot be satisfied with an ineffective and illusory solution “.