The Sunday Times found that drinks containing more sugar in one serving than an adult’s recommended daily allowance would be exempt from the tax because they are ‘a great source of calcium’.
The sugar tax will be introduced in April 2018 and is expected to raise £1.5bn over its first three years. The tax is part of a strategy aimed at curbing the obesity crisis in the UK, particularly in children.
The analysis found that a Kripsy Kreme strawberry milkshake - with toppings, cream and sauce - contains 21.8g of sugar per 100g - double the amount in Coca Cola, and a standard 443g serving contains 96.4g of sugar. The maximum recommended daily intake for an adult is 90g.
A Reese’s shake (with peanut butter) from the US doughnut giant was found to contain 61g of sugar and more calories than a PizzaExpress margherita pizza (853 calories compared to 610 in the pizza).
In McDonald’s a large strawberry milkshake contains 74g of sugar - with about 50g added sugar - equating to more than 160% of the maximum recommended daily sugar intake of 30g for those aged 11 and over.
An average small milkshake in the fast food chain, which is available in most children’s meals, contains 29.2g of sugar, including 19.8g of added sugar - equating to 83% of the recommended daily added sugar intake of 24g for a child aged 7-10.
The Government has reiterated that further consultations will take place before the tax comes into force to ensure the right products are taxed.
After the sugar tax was announced, some soft drinks manufacturers threatened legal action as they found the tax to be anti-competitive and could breach EU rules.