News reaches my ears that Denmark has just launched a "fat tax" on lardy products. Apparently Danes are big fans of butter and bacon and will now have to fork out an extra 25p on a pack of butter and 8p on a packet of crisps, as the new tax on foods which contain more than 2.3% saturated fat comes into effect. Everything from milk to oils, meats and pre-cooked foods such as pizzas will be targeted. The additional revenue raised will fund obesity-fighting measures.
Elsewhere in Europe Hungary slapped a tax on all foods with unhealthy levels of sugar, salt and carbohydrates, as well as goods with high levels of caffeine. Denmark, Switzerland and Austria have already banned trans fats, while Finland and Romania are considering fat taxes. Britain has the biggest obesity problem in Europe, and campaigners have urged the government to follow Denmark's lead.
But hold on to your spare tires - enough of this madness!!
This is all well and good and I applaud the effort to attempt to make people - myself including - eat less fat. But am I the only one who thinks this tax won't have any effect on how much fat is quaffed? In fact, to be honest, I can't help feeling that once fat is more more expensive it will be more not less in demand.
In fact, how soon will it be before a black market in fat explodes across Europe where bacon butties are sold tax-free under the table at local pubs and dealers stand on street corners opening coats that are strung with fatty sausages, sausage rolls and slabs of lard?
Will putting higher taxes on unhealthy food really make people buy less of it or will it simply make people feel like naughty boys and girls if they purchase mega-priced lard burgers while giving a two fingered salute to the governments attempt at nannying their exploding girth?
What do you say? Would you pay extra for lardy food or would you turn the other cheek and start quaffing low fat food stuffs?
Or do you see this as the start of the thin edge of the cheese-wedge, when ultimately fatty foods will be banned and a black market in fatty salami splatters across the market place, with people illegally staging fat food parties and stashing cheese in their luggage when having to travel to particularly 'low-fat' countries?
This is all well and good and I applaud the effort to attempt to make people - myself including - eat less fat. But am I the only one who thinks this tax won't have any effect on how much fat is quaffed? In fact, to be honest, I can't help feeling that once fat is more more expensive it will be more not less in demand.
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| Is this the end to free access to sausages? |
In fact, how soon will it be before a black market in fat explodes across Europe where bacon butties are sold tax-free under the table at local pubs and dealers stand on street corners opening coats that are strung with fatty sausages, sausage rolls and slabs of lard?
Will putting higher taxes on unhealthy food really make people buy less of it or will it simply make people feel like naughty boys and girls if they purchase mega-priced lard burgers while giving a two fingered salute to the governments attempt at nannying their exploding girth?
What do you say? Would you pay extra for lardy food or would you turn the other cheek and start quaffing low fat food stuffs?
Or do you see this as the start of the thin edge of the cheese-wedge, when ultimately fatty foods will be banned and a black market in fatty salami splatters across the market place, with people illegally staging fat food parties and stashing cheese in their luggage when having to travel to particularly 'low-fat' countries?
