EU's misguided food tax proposal threatening to derail new cardiovascular health plan

"Those familiar with the draft plan confirm that it forms part of the Commission's broader push on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors such as alcohol, tobacco and diet. Yet critics argue the approach leans on shaky scientific foundations and reaches for blunt, cosmetic fixes to a public health challenge whose underlying drivers remain poorly understood, with its misguided equation of certain foods with tobacco threatening to produce ineffective policy."

"The severity of Europe's cardiovascular crisis plainly calls for ambitious and coordinated answers. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), roughly 10,000 people die from CVDs across Europe every day, largely from sudden events such as heart attacks and strokes. In 2022, circulatory diseases caused 1.68 million deaths in the EU, representing approximately one-third of the bloc's mortality - far above cancer's 22.3%, with the majority of these premature CVD-driven deaths entirely preventable through enhanced mitigation of risk factors like tobacco consumption and physical inactivity."

A leaked draft proposes an EU-wide 'sin tax' on highly processed foods and drinks high in fat, sugar and salt by 2026, triggering criticism across the Commission and member states. The proposal forms part of a broader push on cardiovascular disease risk factors including alcohol, tobacco and diet. Critics contend the measure rests on shaky scientific foundations and risks treating certain foods like tobacco, producing ineffective policy. Europe faces a severe cardiovascular crisis: roughly 10,000 CVD deaths per day and 1.68 million circulatory disease deaths in the EU in 2022, many premature and preventable. Alternatives prioritized include physical activity, health literacy, digital innovation, and rigorous evidence-driven research.

Read at Business Matters