Beverage Prices Research Articles

Young adults' responses to alternative messages describing a sugar-sweetened beverage price increase.

Many jurisdictions in the USA and globally are considering raising the prices of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) through taxes as a strategy to reduce their consumption. The objective of the present study was to identify whether the rationale provided for an SSB price increase affects young adults' behavioural intentions and attitudes towards SSB. Participants were randomly assigned to receive one of eight SSB price increase rationales. Intentions to purchase SSB and attitudes about the product and policy were measured. A forty-six-item cross-sectional Internet survey. Undergraduate students (n 494) at a large US Midwestern university. Rationale type was significantly associated with differences in participants' purchasing intentions for the full sample (F 7,485=2·53, P=0·014). Presenting the rationale for an SSB price increase as a user fee, an effort to reduce obesity, a strategy to offset health-care costs or to protect children led to lower SSB purchasing intentions compared with a message with no rationale. Rationale type was also significantly associated with differences in perceptions of soda companies (F 7,485=2·10, P=0·043); among low consumers of SSB, messages describing the price increase as a user fee or tax led to more negative perceptions of soda companies. The rationale attached to an SSB price increase could influence consumers. However, these message effects may depend on individuals' level of SSB consumption.

The impact of a ‘soda tax’ on prices: evidence from French micro data

ABSTRACTBased on an original data set of more than 500,000 non-alcoholic beverage price records, we evaluate the impact on consumer prices of the ‘soda tax’, an excise on drinks with added sugar or sweetener, introduced in France in January 2012. We adopt a difference in differences approach and find that the tax was gradually passed through to the prices of the taxed beverages. After 6 months of its introduction, it was fully shifted to soda prices and almost fully shifted to the prices of fruit drinks, while the pass-through for flavoured waters was incomplete. We also find that the pass-through was heterogeneous across brands and retail groups.

Price promotions for food and beverage products in a nationwide sample of food stores

Food and beverage price promotions may be potential targets for public health initiatives but have not been well documented. We assessed prevalence and patterns of price promotions for food and beverage products in a nationwide sample of food stores by store type, product package size, and product healthfulness. We also assessed associations of price promotions with community characteristics and product prices. In-store data collected in 2010–2012 from 8959 food stores in 468 communities spanning 46 U.S. states were used. Differences in the prevalence of price promotions were tested across stores types, product varieties, and product package sizes. Multivariable regression analyses examined associations of presence of price promotions with community racial/ethnic and socioeconomic characteristics and with product prices. The prevalence of price promotions across all 44 products sampled was, on average, 13.4% in supermarkets (ranging from 9.1% for fresh fruits and vegetables to 18.2% for sugar-sweetened beverages), 4.5% in grocery stores (ranging from 2.5% for milk to 6.6% for breads and cereals), and 2.6% in limited service stores (ranging from 1.2% for fresh fruits and vegetables to 4.1% for breads and cereals). No differences were observed by community characteristics. Less-healthy versus more-healthy product varieties and larger versus smaller product package sizes generally had a higher prevalence of price promotion, particularly in supermarkets. On average, in supermarkets, price promotions were associated with 15.2% lower prices. The observed patterns of price promotions warrant more attention in public health food environment research and intervention.

ANALISIS KAJIAN POTENSI PROSPEK USAHA JAJANAN MALAM HARIDI KOTA MEDAN

The purpose of this study was to: (1). Describe the main attraction of tourism potential prospects night snacks in Medan. (2). Examines the characteristics of tourists who visit the centers of business prospects night snacks Medan. (3). Assessing the behavior patterns of tourists visiting in the centers of business prospects night snacks Medan. (4). Assessing the perception of tourists to the potential business prospects night snacks in Medan. In order for the city of Medan can become a tourist destination evening snack can be achieved, the necessary development strategies: (1) .Menjaga and create the taste of food and beverages, for example Typical City of Medan. (2). Improve comfort and security of tourists in the centers of the evening snacks. (3). Maintain and enhance the overall area of cleanliness in the centers of the evening snacks. (4). Improve and maintain the appearance of employees in serving tourists. (5). Prices of food and beverages made cheap but the quality is maintained. To take advantage of the vast opportunities, the local government of Medan city are expected to participate more intensively to support the development of snacks in the evening in the city of Medan. The existence of policies and extension is considered to be very helpful in the completion of cooking the evening snacks. In addition, local governments also need to facilitate the growth and development of tourism products industry night snacks with supporters as hardwares local regulations that can accommodate the interests of employers / principals hari.Terkait evening snacks of local government funding can also be a bridge to help the funding recommendation to the entrepreneur evening snacks through cooperatives and banks, one of which is a government-owned bank, Bank of North Sumatra.

ANALISIS KAJIAN POTENSI PROSPEK USAHA JAJANAN MALAM HARIDI KOTA MEDAN

The purpose of this study was to: (1). Describe the main attraction of tourism potential prospects night snacks in Medan. (2). Examines the characteristics of tourists who visit the centers of business prospects night snacks Medan. (3). Assessing the behavior patterns of tourists visiting in the centers of business prospects night snacks Medan. (4). Assessing the perception of tourists to the potential business prospects night snacks in Medan. In order for the city of Medan can become a tourist destination evening snack can be achieved, the necessary development strategies: (1) .Menjaga and create the taste of food and beverages, for example Typical City of Medan. (2). Improve comfort and security of tourists in the centers of the evening snacks. (3). Maintain and enhance the overall area of cleanliness in the centers of the evening snacks. (4). Improve and maintain the appearance of employees in serving tourists. (5). Prices of food and beverages made cheap but the quality is maintained.
 To take advantage of the vast opportunities, the local government of Medan city are expected to participate more intensively to support the development of snacks in the evening in the city of Medan. The existence of policies and extension is considered to be very helpful in the completion of cooking the evening snacks. In addition, local governments also need to facilitate the growth and development of tourism products industry night snacks with supporters as hardwares local regulations that can accommodate the interests of employers / principals hari.Terkait evening snacks of local government funding can also be a bridge to help the funding recommendation to the entrepreneur evening snacks through cooperatives and banks, one of which is a government-owned bank, Bank of North Sumatra.

Higher Retail Prices of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages 3 Months After Implementation of an Excise Tax in Berkeley, California.

We assessed the short-term ability to increase retail prices of the first US 1-cent-per-ounce excise tax on the distribution of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), which was implemented in March 2015 by Berkeley, California. In 2014 and 2015, we examined pre- to posttax price changes of SSBs and non-SSBs in a variety of retailers in Berkeley and in the comparison cities Oakland and San Francisco, California. We examined price changes by beverage, brand, size, and retailer type. For smaller beverages (≤ 33.8 oz), price increases (cents/oz) in Berkeley relative to those in comparison cities were 0.69 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.36, 1.03) for soda, 0.47 (95% CI = 0.08, 0.87) for fruit-flavored beverages, and 0.47 (95% CI = 0.25, 0.69) for SSBs overall. For 2-liter bottles and multipacks of soda, relative price increases were 0.46 (95% CI = 0.03, 0.89) and 0.49 (95% CI = 0.21, 0.77). We observed no relative price increases for nontaxed beverages overall. Approximately 3 months after the tax was implemented, SSB retail prices increased more in Berkeley than in nearby cities, marking a step in the causal pathway between the tax and reduced SSB consumption.

Development and Reliability Testing of a Fast-Food Restaurant Observation Form.

To develop a reliable observational data collection instrument to measure characteristics of the fast-food restaurant environment likely to influence consumer behaviors, including product availability, pricing, and promotion. The study used observational data collection. Restaurants were in the Chicago Metropolitan Statistical Area. A total of 131 chain fast-food restaurant outlets were included. Interrater reliability was measured for product availability, pricing, and promotion measures on a fast-food restaurant observational data collection instrument. Analysis was done with Cohen's κ coefficient and proportion of overall agreement for categorical variables and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for continuous variables. Interrater reliability, as measured by average κ coefficient, was .79 for menu characteristics, .84 for kids' menu characteristics, .92 for food availability and sizes, .85 for beverage availability and sizes, .78 for measures on the availability of nutrition information,.75 for characteristics of exterior advertisements, and .62 and .90 for exterior and interior characteristics measures, respectively. For continuous measures, average ICC was .88 for food pricing measures, .83 for beverage prices, and .65 for counts of exterior advertisements. Over 85% of measures demonstrated substantial or almost perfect agreement. Although some measures required revision or protocol clarification, results from this study suggest that the instrument may be used to reliably measure the fast-food restaurant environment.

Targeted Beverage Taxes Influence Food and Beverage Purchases among Households with Preschool Children1–3

Background: How beverage taxes might influence purchases of foods and beverages among households with preschool children is unclear. Thus, we examined the relation between beverage taxes and food and beverage purchases among US households with a child 2–5 y of age.Objectives: We examined how a potential tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), or SSBs and >1% fat and/or high-sugar milk, would influence household food and beverage purchases among US households with a preschool child. We aimed to identify the lowest tax rate associated with meaningful changes in purchases.Methods: We used household food and beverage purchase data from households with a single child who participated in the 2009–2012 Nielsen Homescan Panel. A 2-part, multilevel panel model was used to examine the relation between beverage prices and food and beverage purchases. Logistic regression was used in the first part of the model to estimate the probability of a food/beverage being purchased, whereas the second part of the model used log-linear regression to estimate predicted changes in purchases among reporting households. Estimates from both parts were combined, and bootstrapping was performed to obtain corrected SEs. In separate models, prices of SSBs, or SSBs and >1% and/or high-sugar milk, were perturbed by +10%, +15%, and +20%. Predicted changes in food and beverage purchases were compared across models.Results: Price increases of 10%, 15%, and 20% on SSBs were associated with fewer purchases of juice drinks, whereas price increases of 10%, 15%, and 20% simulated on both SSBs plus >1% fat and/or high-sugar milk (combined tax) were associated with fewer kilocalories purchased from >1% fat, low-sugar milk, and meat, poultry, fish, and mixed meat dishes.Conclusions: Our study provides further evidence that a tax on beverages high in sugar and/or fat may be associated with favorable changes in beverage purchases among US households with a preschool child.

Assessing Patterns of Alcohol Taxes Produced by Various Types of Excise Tax Methods--A Simulation Study.

To examine patterns of tax burdens produced by specific, ad valorem, and various types of combination taxations. One hundred unique hypothetical alcoholic beverages were mathematically simulated based on the amount of ethanol and perceived-qualities contained. Second, beverages were assigned values of various costs and tax rates, and third, patterns of tax burden were assessed per unit of ethanol produced by each type of tax method. Different tax methods produced different tax burdens per unit of ethanol for different alcoholic beverages. The tax burden produced by the ad valorem tax resulted in a lower tax burden for low perceived-quality alcoholic beverages. The specific tax method showed the same tax burden for both low and high perceived-quality alcoholic beverages. However, high perceived-quality beverages benefited from a lower tax burden per beverage price. Lastly, the combination tax method resulted in a lower tax burden for medium perceived-quality alcoholic beverages. Under the oligopoly market, ad valorem taxation encourages consumption of low perceived-quality beverages; specific taxation encourages consumption of high perceived-quality beverages; and combination tax methods encourage consumption of medium perceived-quality beverages.

US monetary policy and sectoral commodity prices

Using a Structural VAR (SVAR) model, we examine the effects of the monetary policy of the United States on sectoral commodity prices (including the non-fuel commodity prices, food prices, beverage prices, prices of agricultural raw materials, prices of metals and prices of fuel (energy) commodities) and macroeconomic activity. The empirical evidence suggests that a U.S. monetary contraction leads to an immediate rise in the broad commodity price index, which possibly reflects an aggregation bias, greater expected inflation and speculation, high production costs or some overshooting due to overreactions. Then, the response erodes after six quarters as the positive interest rate shock vanishes and higher interest rates and liquidity drainage take traction. Despite this, the aggregate price response masks the existence of significant heterogeneity in the price responses of the different types of commodity sectors. More specifically, a positive interest rate shock leads to: (i) an initial pop in the price returns of the non-fuel commodities, which later reverses path and becomes negative (as in the case of the prices of agricultural raw materials); (ii) a positive and persistent rise in the volatile food prices; (iii) a fall in the beverage prices; and (iv) a persistent reduction in the prices of metals and the prices of energy prices. Our results also remain globally intact with respect to alternative specifications and identification schemes as well as to unconventional monetary policy effects. Similar results are also found when commodity futures prices are used. We conclude that policymakers should recognize the source of sector inflation before embarking on contractionary monetary policy. The design of core inflation targeting is also preferable to headline inflation targeting.

Higher Retail Prices of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages 3 Months After Implementation of an Excise Tax in Berkeley, California

Higher Retail Prices of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages 3 Months After Implementation of an Excise Tax in Berkeley, California

Food Prices and Obesity: A Review

In response to rising rates of obesity in the United States due in part to excess food consumption, researchers and policy makers have argued that levying food taxes on obesity-promoting foods, perhaps combined with subsidies on healthier options, would be an effective tool to stem the obesity epidemic. The extent to which overall energy intake or weight outcomes will improve as a result of these policies is ultimately an empirical question. This review examines the link between food or beverage price changes and energy intake or weight outcomes among U.S. consumers. Current evidence indicates that, by themselves, targeted food taxes and subsidies as considered to date are unlikely to have a major effect on individual weight or obesity prevalence. While research suggests that the effects are modest, food taxes and subsidies may play an important role in a multifaceted approach to reducing obesity incidence.

Europe. An Analysis of Changes in the Consumption of Alcoholic Beverages: The Interaction Among Consumption, Related Harms, Contextual Factors and Alcoholic Beverage Control Policies

This AMPHORA study's aim was to investigate selected factors potentially affecting changes in consumption of alcoholic beverages in 12 European countries during the 1960s–2008 (an average increase in beer, decreases in wine and spirits, total alcohol drinking decrease). Both time series and artificial neural networks-based analyses were used. Results indicated that selected socio-demographic and economic factors showed an overall major impact on consumption changes; particularly urbanization, increased income, and older mothers’ age at their childbirths were significantly associated with consumption increase or decrease, depending on the country. Alcoholic beverage control policies showed an overall minor impact on consumption changes: among them, permissive availability measures were significantly associated with consumption increases, while drinking and driving limits and availability restrictions were correlated with consumption decreases, and alcohol taxation and prices of the alcoholic beverages were not significantly correlated with consumption. Population ageing, older mother's age at childbirths, increased income and increases in female employment, as well as drink driving limitations were associated with the decrease of transport mortality. Study's limitations are noted.

Wpływ wielkości spożycia i cen na wydatki żywnościowe i napoje bezalkoholowe w gospodarstwach domowych

The aim of this article is to determine how consumption and prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages affect expenses per capita incurred by Polish households of various sizes. The results of conducted research allow to draw a conclusion that the highest expenses per capita on certain assortment categories are incurred by one-person households and the increasing number of household members has impact on not only decreasing consumption per capita and its value but also it decreases the price. Decreasing consumption per capita when the number of the household members increases is shaped by decreasing consumption per capita, the importance of decreasing price is far less important. However, the importance of decreased price to decreased consumption per capita increases along with the household size.

Cross-border health and productivity effects of alcohol policies

This paper studies the cross-border health and productivity effects of alcohol taxes. We estimate the effect of a large cut in the Finnish alcohol tax on mortality, alcohol-related illnesses and work absenteeism in Sweden. This tax cut led to large differences in the prices of alcoholic beverages between these two countries and to a considerable increase in cross-border shopping. The effect is identified using differences-in-differences strategy where changes in these outcomes in regions near the Finnish border are compared to changes in other parts of northern Sweden. We use register data where micro level data on deaths, hospitalisations and absenteeism is merged to population-wide micro data on demographics and labour market outcomes. Our results show that the Finnish tax cut did not have any clear effect on mortality or alcohol-related hospitalisations in Sweden. However, we find that workplace absenteeism increased by 9% for males and by 15% for females near the Finnish border as a result of the tax cut.

Changes in alcohol policies and public opinions in Finland 2003–2013

There is a constant and ongoing interplay between public opinions and public policies, alcohol policies being no exception. This article describes the development of public opinions regarding alcohol policy in Finland during a 10-year period between 2003 and 2013. Fluctuations in the alcohol policy opinion climate are put in context by looking at concurrent changes in alcohol policies and in total alcohol consumption. The study is based on data from opinion surveys on alcohol policies commissioned by the National Institute for Health and Welfare and the Finnish Social and Health Association. The opinion polls include questions about the general acceptance of prevailing alcohol policies, appropriate sales channels of different alcoholic beverage categories and opinions about the legal age limits and prices of alcoholic beverages. In the study, changes in alcohol policy during 2003-2013 are surveyed, and their relationship with changes in alcohol policy opinion is examined. There seem to be a strong positive correlation during the study period between the level of alcohol consumption and the share of those wanting a more restrictive alcohol policy in Finland. It seems that an increased level of awareness of alcohol-related issues among the general public created a more restrictive opinion climate on alcohol policy issues after the big alcohol excise duty decrease in 2004. The reverse seems to happen but in a lesser degree when alcohol excise duties has been increased after the year 2007.

Alkoholio pardavimų kontrolės priemonių vertinimas Lietuvoje : socialinės žalos valdymo perspektyva

The literature review was conducted in order to assess the effectiveness of alcohol taxes, hours and days of sale, outlet density, minimum legal drinking age, and the interventions of dram shop liability policies, which are intended for the reduction of excessive alcohol consumption and other alcohol related harms. According to the analytical framework of the effective means of alcohol control, which are aimed at the reduction of excessive alcohol consumption and alcohol related harms, the evaluation of alcohol sales’ regulation was conducted in Lithuania. Alcohol control policy is developed according to the Law on Alcohol Control, which specifies who can sell alcoholic beverages and under what conditions. The main aim of this policy, i.e. to reduce alcohol consumption and its harm to health, has never been reached. The consumption of pure alcohol increases with small expectations in 2009. What is more, the excise duty on alcohol has a tendency to increase due to increasing excessive alcohol consumption and decreased alcohol prices. The production of spirit alcoholic drinks and alcoholic cocktails, recalculated into an absolute (100 %) alcohol, increased by 4.4 % in the country in 2011, as compared with 2010. The consumption of pure alcohol was 14.1 litres per capita (15+ years) in 2011. The excise duty on alcohol is not optimal because it has no significant influence on alcohol price, especially on the price of beer. When alcohol prices have increased in general during the past years, the prices of alcohol beverages decreased 1.1 % in 2011, in comparison with 2010. Although the ban to sale alcohol beverages` off premise from 22 a.m. to 8 a.m. exists in Lithuania, but the accessibility to alcohol still remains 24 hours a day (due to legal alcohol sales on premise). Moreover, the number of licenses to sell alcohol increased, and there were 18550 licenses in 2011. The minimum legal drinking age is 18 years; and there is no ban to sale alcohol to intoxicated persons and no dram shop liability policy in Lithuania.

Higher Food Prices May Threaten Food Security Status among American Low-Income Households with Children1,2

Children in food-insecure households are more likely to experience poorer health function and worse academic achievement. To investigate the relation between economic environmental factors and food insecurity among children, we examined the relation between general and specific food prices (fast food, fruits and vegetables, beverages) and risk of low (LFS) and very low food security (VLFS) status among low-income American households with children. Using information for 27,900 child-year observations from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Class of 1998–1999 linked with food prices obtained from the Cost of Living Data of the Council for Community and Economic Research, formerly known as the American Chamber of Commerce Researchers' Association, fixed effects models were estimated within stratified income groups. Higher overall food prices were associated with increased risk of LFS and VLFS (coefficient = 0.617; P < 0.05). Higher fast food and fruit and vegetable prices also contributed to higher risk of food insecurity (coefficient = 0.632, P < 0.01 for fast food; coefficient = 0.879, P < 0.01 for fruits and vegetables). However, increasing beverage prices, including the prices of soft drinks, orange juice, and coffee, had a protective effect on food security status, even when controlling for general food prices. Thus, although food price changes were strongly related to food security status among low-income American households with children, the effects were not uniform across types of food. These relations should be accounted for when implementing policies that change specific food prices.

Ukrepi Za Zmanjšanje Tveganega In Škodljivega Pitja Alkohola V Populaciji Študentov: Sistematični Pregled Literature / Measures to Reduce Risky and Heavy Alcohol Drinking in the Population of Students: A Systematic Literature Review

Izvleček Izhodišča: Pitje alkohola je precej velik slovenski problem; še posebej so izpostavljeni mladi pivci. Pomembne so preventivne in intervencijske metode v populaciji študentov, a v Sloveniji to področje še ni dovolj razvito. Sistematični pregled literature ponuja vpogled v raziskovanje tega problema drugod po svetu in osvetljuje to področje pri nas. Metode: Iz treh različnih baz (PubMED, Cochrane in PsychINFO) smo s pomočjo ključnih besed (alcohol drinking/ consumption/abuse, prevention and control, students, intervention(s)) izbrali izvirne članke v angleškem jeziku. Nanašali so se na mlade, stare od 18 do 25 let; obravnavali so vedenje glede pitja alkohola in vsebovali preventivne ali intervencijske dejavnosti. Rezultati: Za prenos intervencij moramo poznati okolje, družbo in družbeni razvoj. Za učinkovite ukrepe so se pokazali: presejanje, kratki ukrepi ob ugotovljenem tveganem pitju (individualni in prek svetovnega spleta), motivacijski razgovori, spodbujanje mladih k idejam o nepitju alkohola, nadzor nad porabo alkohola znotraj študentskih naselij, povišanje cen alkoholnih pijač, omejitev oglaševanja in reorganizacija vplivov na spremembe vrednot, ki vplivajo na porabo alkohola. Zaključki: Specifičnost mlade/študentske populacije predstavlja izziv in dobro naložbo za prihodnost.

Predicting the Effects of Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Taxes on Food and Beverage Demand in a Large Demand System.

A censored Exact Affine Stone Index incomplete demand system is estimated for 23 packaged foods and beverages and a numéraire good. Instrumental variables are used to control for endogenous prices. A half-cent per ounce increase in sugar-sweetened beverage prices is predicted to reduce total calories from the 23 foods and beverages but increase sodium and fat intakes as a result of product substitution. The predicted decline in calories is larger for low-income households than for high-income households, although welfare loss is also higher for low-income households. Neglecting price endogeneity or estimating a conditional demand model significantly overestimates the calorie reduction.