The call for a new tax on soft drinks is being reignited following the decision to increase sugar levels in Fanta.

Following revelations that the sugar content in Fanta has risen by 60 percent since 2020, there are renewed calls for a new tax on soft drinks. Coca-Cola Australia notably reduced the sugar content of the popular orange-flavored beverage in 2020 to 4.5 grams per 100ml from its 2016 level of 11.2 grams per 100ml. However, in 2023, the company increased the sugar content to 7.2 grams per 100ml, still lower than the 2016 levels but substantially higher than the 2020 reformulation, resulting in over 10 teaspoons of sugar in a 600ml bottle of Fanta. This increase followed Coca-Cola Australia’s publicized commitment in 2022 to an industry-wide pledge by the Australian Beverages Council to reduce sugar levels across its non-alcoholic drinks range by 25 percent compared to 2015 levels by 2025. In response to this development, the Australian Medical Association (AMA) is urging the federal government to implement a tax on soft drinks.