Adnkronos (Adnkronos) – "We renewed a protocol last July. The theme is reducing the conscious consumption of sugar, achieved not through taxation, but through information." This was stated by Undersecretary of State for Health, Marcello Gemmato, during the meeting organized in Rome by Assobibe, the Confindustria association representing soft drink producers in Italy, to discuss the economic and social impacts of the sugar tax's implementation in January 2027.
"We need to instill healthy eating habits in Italians," he emphasized, "at a time when, unfortunately, we have these obesity statistics: 8 million obese people, 23 million overweight people, with rising figures in some regions and among younger people.
How? By focusing on prevention, not through coercion, and therefore through awareness of the negative effects associated with the inappropriate and excessive use of certain substances.
Regarding the precedent of sugar taxes introduced in other countries, Gemmato observed: “Historically, in analyses conducted in countries where the so-called sugar tax has been introduced, there has not been an overall decrease in sugar intake, but rather an increase.”
According to the Undersecretary of Health, "it's better to engage in dialogue, to persuade people, young people, about sugar intake, and not to tax it to achieve the same result." Gemmato then highlighted the results of the collaboration between the Ministry and Assobibe: "We achieved a reduction in sugar consumption without taxing it," he concluded. The protocol, renewed in July, includes activities to inform consumers, monitor consumption, and promote informed choices.
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