Salty foods could face tax – but not your crisps

[snoop1130 4,538]

Salty foods could face tax – but not your crisps

By The Nation

 

 

The Excise Department and Public Health Ministry are mulling a tax on salted foods to try and wean Thais away from sodium-heavy diets – but snacks and fish sauce would be exempted.

 

Excise Department director general Patchara Anuntasilpa said on Wednesday (October 16) the tax would be based on the amount of salt content and a proposal would likely go to Finance Minister Uttama Savanayana by the end of the year.

 

“If the tax is approved, we will allow entrepreneurs one or two years to reduce the salt content and launch a less-salty version of their product,” said Patchara.

 

The tax would apply to frozen and canned foods and instant noodles, but not to snacks, fish and other seasoning sauce or dishes sold by street vendors.

 

The World Health Organisation and United Nations have recommended taxes on foods with high salt content, noting that too much sodium in the diet can lead to kidney and heart disease, cancer and high blood pressure.

 

Wisit Limluecha of the Federation of Thai Industries said it would cooperate with the government on all efforts to improve people’s health, but he would not want to see a tax on snacks, seasonings or instant and frozen foods.

 

“Research has found that these foods represent only 20 per cent of what we eat each day, and everyone has different eating habits, so the better solution would be to advise consumers on how to eat healthily,” he said.

 

He warned that the proposed tax would hurt Thai food’s competitiveness overseas as well as at home, where imports are readily available.

 

Small-scale entrepreneurs with limited budgets would also suffer, he said, since adjusting ingredient formulas and changing the packaging cost a considerable amount of money.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30377453

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2019-10-16

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[observer90210 7,909]

Snacks exempted ?!!!  Right........Well, we all know high dosage of chips, popcorn and other processed snacks are good for the health after all

[bluesofa 27,000]

 

43 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Wisit Limluecha of the Federation of Thai Industries said it would cooperate with the government on all efforts to improve people’s health, but he would not want to see a tax on snacks, seasonings or instant and frozen foods

Why not?

[Tayaout 2,440]

This is ridiculous and only about collecting tax. 

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/its-time-to-end-the-war-on-salt/

Edited October 16 by Tayaout

[Captain_Bob 1,069]

"tax on salted (or sweet) foods to try and wean Thais away from sodium-heavy (and sugary) diets." 

Complete b o ll ock s of course, as any such tax is imposed to steal more money. Same as tax on booze and smokes, the gov't doesn't give a toss about public health, just how to take money. 

[chickenslegs 10,320]

7 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

 

Why not?

Maybe he has shares in Lay's.

[anterian 1,450]

Please put a tax on garlic.

[White Christmas13 5,214]

1 hour ago, anterian said:

Please put a tax on garlic.

And Durian

[DrTuner 11,854]

500000% tax on MSG would be welcome.

[DrTuner 11,854]

2 hours ago, Tayaout said:

This is ridiculous and only about collecting tax. 

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/its-time-to-end-the-war-on-salt/

Any idea what the usual daily sodium intake of Thais is?

 

Westies have already succesfully lowered the levels, I remember the Karelia project IIRC in the 70's and early 80's that weened off people from eating mountains of salt. It was a success, death rates due to high blood pressure plummeted. But before the food was so salty it almost tasted as bad as Thai food with 5kg MSG per plate.

 

https://www.helsinki.fi/en/news/nordic-welfare/north-karelia-project-an-unrepeatable-success-story-in-public-health

Edited October 16 by DrTuner

[fforest1 4,040]

Ban Salt, Ban Sugar, Ban Smoking, Ban Alcohol, Ban Cars, Ban Sex Ban Ban Ban how about Ban busy body bureaucrats... 

[stickyrice2000 556]

Is the government broke?  

[jerojero 6,230]

Yep. 100 billion spent on military toys for the 1300 Generals. Now no money for nothing (and chicks not for free).

Is the government broke?  

[Tayaout 2,440]

4 hours ago, DrTuner said:

Any idea what the usual daily sodium intake of Thais is?

 

Westies have already succesfully lowered the levels, I remember the Karelia project IIRC in the 70's and early 80's that weened off people from eating mountains of salt. It was a success, death rates due to high blood pressure plummeted. But before the food was so salty it almost tasted as bad as Thai food with 5kg MSG per plate.

 

https://www.helsinki.fi/en/news/nordic-welfare/north-karelia-project-an-unrepeatable-success-story-in-public-health

It's almost impossible to eat too much salt. However I only eat sea salt, Celtic salt and pink salt. Not sure about table salt but it's probably not healthy since it has chemicals additive. 

 

 

Edited October 16 by Tayaout

[PatOngo 26,359]

4 hours ago, stickyrice2000 said:

Is the government broke?  

No, that only applies to 80% of the civilian population!