Excise duty is paid not only by producers of alcohol and cigarettes, but also by those who make unhealthy foods, the Ministry of Health proposes through amendments to the Health Act. This was announced in Smolyan by the Deputy Minister of Health Dr. Adam Persenski.
"We are proposing a change in the text for foods that contain more than 5% salt - unhealthy foods, to pay excise duty. This will be an open war. I hope the damage is not very severe for us," he said. the Minister. By junk food he means chips and burgers from large chains.
The Ministry of Agriculture told Trud that their colleagues from the Ministry of Health have not yet introduced them to their project.
Denmark and Hungary are the two EU countries that have introduced specific food taxes. Denmark has introduced a tax on the fat content of olive oil and vegetable oils as a measure against unhealthy eating and increasing life expectancy.
The tax there is calculated on the basis of the mass of fat contained in the products and is 16 Danish kroner ($ 2.90) per kg of fat. The new tax there increased the price of burgers by $ 0.15 and olive oil by $ 0.40.
Hungary has also introduced a tax on unhealthy food and beverages. The law applies to foods high in sugar, salt and carbohydrates, as well as products with more than 20 milligrams of caffeine per 100 milliliters. The Hungarian Ministry of Health has defended the introduction of the so-called "hamburger" tax with a study that proves an increase in health problems among his compatriots due to the consumption of salty and fatty foods.
Chips are taxed at 200 forints (just over $ 1) per kilogram. This can increase the price of a standard package of 90 g by about 10%. The new tax covers both foods and beverages with a high content of salt and sugar, as well as flavorings.
Originally known as the "hamburger tax", the tax was renamed the "chips tax" by the Hungarian media after it became clear that the government bill would not affect the food offered by fast food restaurants.
Source: profit.bg