Stock image of soft drink bottles on a supermarket shelf. The sugar content of Fanta has been increased from 4.5 to 7.2 grams per 100ml.Stock image of soft drink bottles on a supermarket shelf. The sugar content of Fanta has been increased from 4.5 to 7.2 grams per 100ml.An increase in sugar in two popular soft drink brands has prompted health experts to renew calls for laws to cut the sugar in beverages, and to tackle “appalling” behaviour from the food industry.
Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundupAustralia said the drink Sprite also now contains 6.9 grams of sugar per 100ml. This is up from 4.9 grams in 2021. The president of the Australian Medical Association, Prof Steve Robson, said the increase is evidence governments need to step in and impose a sugar tax on the food and beverage industry.
“This is money that could be invested into crucial health promotion campaigns, reducing pressure on our stretched health system,” Robson said.Our Australian morning briefing breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what’s happening and why it mattersand Nutrition, said the sugar increase in Fanta was “very appalling, given that we understand sweetened beverages are amongst the key contributors to an unhealthy diet”.