Shake-up as fizzy drinks lower sugar content to beat tax hike
Makers of Fanta Orange, Sprite and Dr Pepper are among those tweaking their recipes to dodge the new levy
FIZZY drink makers have cut their sugar content to avoid price hikes when the new tax comes in on Friday, a Sun probe shows.
Fanta Orange, Sprite, Dr Pepper, Lucozade, Vimto and Ribena will dodge the levy.
But Coca-Cola and Pepsi will cost more after bosses decided not to change their recipes for fear of upsetting customers.
Under the new rules, drinks with at least 8g of sugar per 100ml will cost 24p a litre more, falling to 18p for those with 5g to 8g per 100ml.
Shoppers will be stung for more when VAT at 20 per cent is added.
Fizz with less than 5g of sugar per 100ml will not go up in price.
Some drinks have dropped fromthe higher to lower sugar tax bracket with a recipe tweak, including 7 Up and Shloer.
Other makers have pruned their sugar content to make products exempt, including Schweppes’ Indian Tonic Water, which dips from 5.1g to 4.9g per 100ml.
Drinks with less than 5g of sugar — Lilt at 4.6g and Tango at 4.3g — are unchanged.
Coca-Cola is not altering its Classic recipe after feedback from fans. A backlash in 1985 saw it drop New Coke after 79 days.
But it is offering new bottle and can sizes to peg prices, including a 250ml can for 70p. A traditional 330ml-size tin will cost 10p extra.
Coke will also sell 1.5-litre bottles instead of 1.75-litre, meaning a price rise of 20p instead of 36p.
Red Bull and Old Jamaica Ginger Beer are keeping their high sugar recipes, costing more.
Irn-Bru is replacing at least 50 per cent of its sugar with sweeteners. Pure fruit juice products are exempt from the sugar tax.
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