We need your help now
Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
By continuing, you are indicating that you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
HEALTH MINISTER James Reilly has ruled out the imposition of a tax on junk food – but says he will write to Ireland’s fast food operators asking them to introduce a calorie count for each of their meals on their menus.
The disclosure follows meetings between officials from the Department of Health and representatives from the food industry over the summer.
In response to a series of parliamentary questions tabled by Dún Laoghaire TD Mary Mitchell O’Connor, who had asked if Reilly would consider introducing a tax on junk foods.
Reilly ruled out the prospect of the tax, but did say that the Special Action Group on Obesity is not considering the imposition of a tax “on high fat, salt and sugar foods at this juncture”.
The minister said that the group had considered asking fast food companies to place calorie values on their menus, and that he would now write to the country’s fast food chains asking for their compliance.
Reilly also said that the group had not ruled out introducing a ‘sugar tax’ on sugar-sweetened drinks as one of a range of measures to tackle obesity.
McDonald’s Ireland has previously said it had no plans to introduce a calorie count on its Irish menus, declining to follow the lead of its British counterpart.
The UK move came as a result of a recommendation from a similar strategy group there.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
quite right – ridiculous idea
Except that it’s the law everywhere else but here.
If you have to show calorie counts and ingredients on a chocolate bar, why not on a big mac?
It’s not like it’s being taxed or banned, we’re just looking for the same information to make a decision with that citizens in other countries are given…
the calorie count can indeed be shown – i was referring to the tax which IS a ridiculous idea
Quite right, Cork Granny. We have choices & if u choose to overeat junk food, that’s your own choice. Education is the way to deal with junk food.
Well, that and bans on some aspects of it which basically cheat.
You’re not allowed use actual cocaine in Coca-Cola anymore, for a real example (they still use coca leaf, but are forced by law to remove the naturally occurring cocaine from the leaves first).
But taxes… well, they’re daft. Either it needs to be banned or it’s fair game.
(ps. Cigarettes/Alcohol taxes aren’t actually taxes, they’re duties and aren’t really to do with consumption but with importation).
That tax would have had a two-fold benefit!!
Firstly, a tax on junk food could have subsidised healthier foods, that low income families can’t afford. It’s crazy that it’s cheaper to feed kids junk food.
Secondly, this would have had a knock on benefit to our health service, especially considering the high levels of diabetes and cardiovascular disease in Ireland.
Phil, it’s as cheap to cook a proper dinner than it is to use processed food……. it just takes a bit more time to chop veg and cook meat or whatever than to say throw a pizza in the oven…… Maybe we’re just getting lazier.. understandable…. working all day and the last thing i want to do some days is cook…..
Question in general …. is “home economics” still taught in secondary schools (or whatever it might be renamed to these days) I learned how to make usual stuff at home but also in school…….
Maybe education is the answer?
Any tax on junk food wouldn’t go to subsidise healthier food.
It’d go to pay off Anglo’s debts.
And C_G, it’s not as cheap to cook a proper dinner.
And yes, I do know how to cook; but until I can avail of the bulk discounts and deals on raw ingredients that the likes of Tyson can, I can’t match their price levels when producing X number of edible calories (I can make stuff that tastes a hell of a lot better, but it will always cost a little bit more). And that’s assuming I have the time to cook; in households where both parents work, that may not be an available option.
Mark sorry must disagree with you there. I am indeed a granny and raised my children on a very low income…. the chippy would’ve been a “treat” for us!!!…. So unless you’re continuously buying very expensive ingredients, you can cook more cheaply than by using processed foods.
And in the long run, it’s a lot healthier too, which in itself is the whole basis of this isn’t it? To eat more healthily and avoid bad fats? No tax required then.
You’re not talking to a rich kid C_G :)
But the problem is, when you or I cook a meal, we use natural ingredients. Spuds. Carrots. Meat. And so on.
We don’t use thiamin mononitrate, high fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, sodium stearoyl lactylate, propylene glycol alginate or any of the other ingredients in a Big Mac (http://www.examiner.com/extreme-weight-loss-in-national/fast-food-investigation-what-are-the-real-ingredients-of-a-big-mac) and so we can’t produce X number of calories for as little money as commercial kitchens can.
Our food will be healthier, it’ll usually taste better (though with the amount of salt and fat in fast food, that’s not always true), but it will never be as cheap as the commercial fast food stuff – there’s a reason they call it “junk” food after all.
I couldn’t even pronounce some of those Mark, never mind cook with them lol
But when you think about it, if you do have a big Mac (for example) half an hour later you’re often hungry again because eating junk food will not satisfy your body’s needs….. so you’ll end up buying/eating something else…. If you’d a bowl of stew (which is real cheap)in the first place then your body would have got the vitamins, minerals and more importantly the trace elements that we need to survive so ergo works out cheaper!!! ;o)
But it only works out cheaper if you have the choice between the two to start with. If you literally cannot afford the higher price, you don’t have the choice.
Not to mention that I don’t think you or I could put together a bowl of homemade stew for less than a commercial kitchen can churn out a can of factory stew or a microwavable portion of factory stew.
I can make a pot of stew for a tenner that I’ll eat for a couple of days. It costs about 8.50 for a large mickey d’s and you’ll be hungry again in another hour.
Yip. Can cook up a large portion of shepards pie for very kittens that will prob do me for 2 or 3 days. Mind you. I am partial to a Mickey d’s or pizza hut :-(
Wait, he’s going to ASK them to put calorie counts on display? Surely he can just make them… no?
ah conor you’re assuming that our politicians “have a pair”!!!!!!!! ;o)
I think certain fatty foods should have a tax on them to encourage people away from them. The tax could then be used to pay for the health services which will be treating those suffering from fat food related "illnesses"!
Afterall we tax cigarettes and they are just as damaging to health!
I don’t understand in this country why we are so up for having more and more taxes being implemented on us……. soon enough we might just as well hand over our wages to the gov every week/month and say “here, take 100% tax off me”……….. and i include road tolling / quinn insurance levy / UC / income tax / VRT / VAT/ road tax – the list is getting longer and longer – I won’t have a net wage soon
James Reilly is a doctor and the health minister So he should know all the damage that being over weight can do.
Yet he isnt very skinny.
Subway already do this and even tell you which foods to hold if you’re concerned about calories, fat or salt. I was quite impressed actually
I’m skinny why should I pay more money for a mcdonalds coz some fat bastard can’t control themselves!!! Ridiculous!!!!!
I’d imagine asking is the cheap first option.
I’m sure our supreme glorious overlords in the IMF would be more than happy for us to introduce a tax on take-away foods. It would be an easy revenue-earner and would be fairer and less divisive than say water charges (which is healthy and should be abundant). These are unhealthy foods, and yes I fully agree that it is a matter of choice for people to eat them. However, those who choose to do must also pay for the consequences of their poor choices in the same way that smokers and car-owners pay taxes on their behaviours.
Seriously? People are genuinely surprised by this? The Blue SHirts….sorry, Fine Gal ye are………,sorry, the party of the farmers (who have a lot to lose from a downturn in fast food consumption)…………sorry, Fine Gael……….yeah that’s them……………couldn’t/wouldn’t take on the property developers and a couple of tiny-island banks……….THERE’S NO WAY IN HELL THEY’D TAKE ON THE MIGHT OF McDonaKing!………….they are more concerned with getting a member of Opus Dei into Aras an Uactarain so that we can only eat McFileto’fish on fridays. In any case, now that the entire country has lubed itself up for the rectal hammering that we’ve been receiving for the last while (with more to come)……..pretty soon, the only thing we will be able to afford to eat will be fast food!………Maybe the lube comment was a little tasteless (hahaha) when you consider the movements you get from most fast food!??!
Wow. Just…wow.
Message to Dr Reilly, by the time your government are finished we wont need calorie counters we will all have starved to death.
Nanny state strikes again…
have your say