Indian state passes ‘fat tax’

Source:Global Times Published: 2016/7/14 19:38:01

A state government in India vowed recently to tax hamburgers, pizzas and sandwiches as part of a 'fat tax' that aims to curb obesity.

The new-elected Communist government of Kerala said they would charge a 14.5 percent tax on junk food, including McDonald's, Burger King, Domino's and KFC, in order to raise awareness of food choice and promote healthier eating, BBC reported Wednesday.

"This is more of a preventive measure as Kerala's food habits are changing dramatically. People are eating a lot of junk food and rejecting traditional food," Finance Minister Thomas Isaac told BBC.

The report said Kerala is only second to the northern state of Punjab in terms of obesity rates, according to a national family health survey.

Denmark introduced a similar tax in 2011 but repealed it in 2013 when its government found consumers would cross borders to purchase their favorite fatty foods, BBC reported.

Global Times/BBC

Posted in: Odd News

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