The Dutch soft drink industry is still pushing for a reduction in sugar. By 2024, the average sugar content of soft drinks will have dropped by at least 38.2% from 2012. This will go above and beyond the 2025 aim of -30%.
This progress underlines the sector’s continued commitment to contribute to a healthier lifestyle, as agreed in the National Prevention Agreement. The soft drinks sector committed to a calorie reduction of 25% in 2020 and 30% in 2025. The latter target was already achieved in 2021 and the sector is now further ahead of the 2025 targets.
The decrease in sugar consumption via soft drinks is partly made possible by product innovations, such as the introduction of more light and zero variants, smaller packaging and reformulation of existing products. Consumers are increasingly opting for these healthier alternatives, as shown by the FWS Fresh Drinks Survey from 2023.
Despite these positive developments, the consumption tax on soft drinks and juices has been increased by almost 200% in January 2024. The sector is calling for a differentiated tax that is taxed according to sugar content and includes other sugary products in addition to soft drinks.
