[News] New junk food legislation in Colombia

On Nov 1, 2023, Colombia rolled out a tax on ultra-processed foods, which will start at 10% before increasing to 15% in 2024, and 20% in 2025. The tax was introduced alongside a tiered tax on sugar-sweetened beverages. Colombia has already enacted front-of-pack nutrition labelling for the foods that are liable for the new tax. The measures have been introduced in response to the country’s obesity crisis—more than half of Colombian adults are overweight or obese. President Gustavo Petro took to the platform X (formerly Twitter) to reassure people that the tax was to help them choose healthy food options and improve the health of the Colombian population, and not just to take money from them.