Ian Wright CBE, director general, FDF, said: "We are extremely disappointed by today's announcement of a new tax on some of the UK's most successful and innovative companies.
"For nearly a year we have waited for an holistic strategy to tackle obesity. What we've got today instead is a piece of political theatre.
“The imposition of this tax will, sadly, result in less innovation and product reformulation, and for some manufacturers is certain to cost jobs.
"Nor will it make a difference to obesity. Many of those singled out today by the Chancellor have been at the forefront of efforts to provide consumers with healthy choices. The industry will now ask whether such efforts are still affordable."
Gavin Partington, director general, BSDA, said: “We are extremely disappointed by the Government’s decision to hit the only category in the food and drink sector which has consistently reduced sugar intake in recent years - down 13.6% since 2012.
"We are the only category with an ambitious plan for the years ahead – in 2015 we agreed a calorie reduction goal of 20% by 2020.
"By contrast sugar and calorie intake from all other major take home food categories is increasing – which makes the targeting of soft drinks simply absurd.”
Meanwhile, The Children's Food Trust, Public Health England, and Leon all welcomed the tax as significant step forward in tackling childhood obesity.
Malcolm Clark, co-ordinator of the Children’s Food Campaign, said: “The Chancellor has taken a bold step in what we hope will be a key pillar of the Government’s forthcoming Childhood Obesity Strategy.
"On its own, a sugary drinks tax won’t solve the UK’s childhood obesity crisis, which is why it needs to be coupled with robust restrictions on unhealthy food marketing online and across all forms of media, including a 9pm watershed for TV advertising of junk food, alongside a series of other measures on reformulation, labelling and the provision of healthier, more sustainable food in our communities."
The Children's Food Trust also welcomed the move, but warned that the tax would not be a silver bullet to childhood obesity.
CEO, Linda Cregan, said: "Sugary soft drinks are a big source of sugar in children's diet, particularly as they get older, and don't give children any nutritional value. So we welcome every step to encourage us all to buy sugary soft drinks less often, and to keep manufacturers focused on reformulation of their products.
"But we have to remember that this tax isn't a silver bullet - it's just one tool to help in the fight to get children eating and drinking more healthily, and we look forward to the full set of 'game-changing' actions government has promised to deliver in the forthcoming childhood obesity strategy."