Fans of sugary soda aren't having much luck in Scotland.
The countrys famous national drink Irn Bru (pronounced Iron Brew) recently halved its sugar content to cut costs, according to NPR.
A new tax in the country could have forced the company to raise the price of the drink to stay competitive in the soda market. Instead, the company made its drink less sugary to avoid the tax, NPR reported.
According to the drink's website, Irn Bru dropped from 10.3 to 4.7 grams of sugar per 100 ml.
Brett Marshall, who works at a convenience store in Glasgow, told NPR he's been seeing customers at his store squint at the nutrition facts on the drink to read about the sugar. Many, he said, are on the hunt for the original version.
Marshall said he stocks both the new and old version of the drink, which reminds some drinkers of Mountain Dew and has been described as "a cross between bubble gum and cream soda."
"They're looking for the original Irn Bru," he told NPR. "Dentist's favorite! Keeps 'em in business!"
The drink's decision to halve its sugar has come as the United Kingdom has looked to stop its ongoing obesity crisis.
In fact, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development found in 2017 that the U.K. is the most obese country in Western Europe. The groups annual Health at a Glance report said 26.9 percent of the population has a body mass index of at least 30. And only five countries in the OECD had higher levels of obesity, with four outside of Europe and one in Eastern Europe.
Health secretary Jeremy Hunt recently called the obesity issue in the U.K. a national emergency that needs a prompt response from the government, according to The Guardian.
Hunt said the government was looking into adding a sugar tax to help people cut back on the amount of sugar theyd consume daily.
We have got to do something about this, he said. "Ive got a 1-year-old daughter, and by the time she reaches adulthood a third of the population will be clinically obese. One in 10 will have type 2 diabetes. It is a national emergency.
The countrys famous national drink Irn Bru (pronounced Iron Brew) recently halved its sugar content to cut costs, according to NPR.
A new tax in the country could have forced the company to raise the price of the drink to stay competitive in the soda market. Instead, the company made its drink less sugary to avoid the tax, NPR reported.
According to the drink's website, Irn Bru dropped from 10.3 to 4.7 grams of sugar per 100 ml.
Brett Marshall, who works at a convenience store in Glasgow, told NPR he's been seeing customers at his store squint at the nutrition facts on the drink to read about the sugar. Many, he said, are on the hunt for the original version.
Marshall said he stocks both the new and old version of the drink, which reminds some drinkers of Mountain Dew and has been described as "a cross between bubble gum and cream soda."
"They're looking for the original Irn Bru," he told NPR. "Dentist's favorite! Keeps 'em in business!"
The drink's decision to halve its sugar has come as the United Kingdom has looked to stop its ongoing obesity crisis.
In fact, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development found in 2017 that the U.K. is the most obese country in Western Europe. The groups annual Health at a Glance report said 26.9 percent of the population has a body mass index of at least 30. And only five countries in the OECD had higher levels of obesity, with four outside of Europe and one in Eastern Europe.
Health secretary Jeremy Hunt recently called the obesity issue in the U.K. a national emergency that needs a prompt response from the government, according to The Guardian.
Hunt said the government was looking into adding a sugar tax to help people cut back on the amount of sugar theyd consume daily.
We have got to do something about this, he said. "Ive got a 1-year-old daughter, and by the time she reaches adulthood a third of the population will be clinically obese. One in 10 will have type 2 diabetes. It is a national emergency.