Public reaction to the Department of Health’s (DOH) proposed health tax on junk food were mixed, with some people saying that junk food is not addictive and is less of a health hazard than tobacco or alcohol.
“The government is interfering too much with people’s lives,” one person said.
However, some people also said that they supported the plan, as lower consumption of junk food would mean reduced health insurance costs.
Bureau of Health Promotion Director-General Chiou Shu-ti (邱淑媞) had said earlier this year that health taxes would be imposed on high-calorie, high-fat, high-sodium and low-nutrition foods and soft drinks.
On Saturday, bureau Deputy Director-General Wu Shiow-ing (吳秀英) said the DOH was considering a junk food tax, following its proposal earlier this month to introduce a bill that would allow for a surcharge on alcoholic drinks.
Items such as potato chips, candy and soda, would be classified as high-calorie, high-fat, or high-sugar foods and would be included in the categories being targeted by the health tax, she said.
“A health promotion act is now in the works to encourage food manufacturers to produce and sell more healthy foods,” she said, adding, however, that there will be no penalty for those that do not comply.
Food manufacturers have also expressed opposition to the idea of levying a “fat tax,” saying that the focus should be on proper eating habits, but they said they would work to develop new low-calorie products.
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