Appetite for health-related food taxes: New Zealand stakeholder views.

Abstract

There is increasing discussion globally of the value of health-related food taxes and subsidies to address obesity and noncommunicable diseases. In order for such policies to be successful it is important to understand the positions of key stakeholders. This research investigated New Zealand (NZ) stakeholders' views on the feasibility and acceptability of selected health-related food taxes and subsidies over the next 5 to 10 years. Twenty semi-structured interviews were undertaken by telephone from November 2014 to May 2015. The purposive sample of key stakeholders included politicians, bureaucrats, public health experts, food industry leaders and consumer representatives. Prior to interviews participants were sent summary information on the estimated impacts of a range of health-related food taxes and subsidies on dietary intake and mortality. According to key stakeholders there appears to be little appetite for taxes on foods high in saturated fat or salt in NZ. Stakeholders largely agreed that a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and a subsidy on fruit and vegetables were both feasible and likely acceptable. There was strong support for starting with a SSBs tax, possibly framed around protecting children and dental health. Addressing obesity and noncommunicable diseases is a multidimensional challenge. A tax on SSBs and a subsidy on fruit and vegetables, possibly in tandem, could be part of the solution in NZ. There is growing interest in, and evidence for, health-related taxes and subsidies internationally. Given the critical role of stakeholder support for such policies similar research on stakeholders' views may assist the implementation of health-related food taxes and subsidies in other jurisdictions.