Summary
3 October 2011
Denmark has become the first country in the world to introduce a tax on foods seen as being harmful to health. There will be an extra charge on items that contain more than 2.3% of a particular type of fat.
Reporter:
Tim Allman
Foods that are high in saturated fat are now subject to the tax
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Report
When you think of Denmark, you think of pastries, butter and bacon. So perhaps a fat tax isn鈥檛 a bad idea, a levy that will be added to any foods that are high in saturated fat; milk, cheese and meat, for instance.
Make it more expensive, reduce consumption, improve health. Well, that is the theory.
Some shops have reported increased sales, people hoarding food to beat the price rise. The Danish Food and Drink Federation says some might just cross the border to do their shopping.
There is certainly some scepticism. Scientists insist that saturated fat is not the right target. Salt and sugar cause more health problems. But one study claims close to 4% of premature deaths in Denmark are caused by people consuming too much saturated fat. So hit shoppers in the pocket, not the waistband.
Tim Allman, 大象传媒 News
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Vocabulary
- pastries
baked foods, usually sweet, made from batter or dough that contains butter and sugar
- a levy
a tax
- saturated fat
substance found in certain foods that is thought to contribute to heart disease
- reduce consumption
lower the use of something
- hoarding
buying a large amount more than they need to keep for future use
- to beat the price rise
to avoid paying a higher price later
- scepticism
doubt about the effectiveness of the decision
- claims
states as truth without necessarily proving it
- premature deaths
deaths that happen earlier than expected
- waistband
the top of a pair of trousers or skirt that attaches around the waist
