We pander to the poor me generations instead of educating and cracking down on the woeful shite that people pass through their mouths as food.
I don't get pandering, I'd argue the way society approaches things is tax and price out that the consumer bares for absolutely no benefit to themselves whatsoever.
Plastic = tax.
Sugar = tax.
Fags = tax.
Alcohol = tax.
And so on.
What about encourage companies to change, improve, reduce levels - yes the consumer might pay a price BUT it ceases to be an irrelevant price the Government largely benefits from. What is the focus and real desire here?
Not sure if it's still true today, but a few years ago the Gov tax on fags and alcohol combined led to a greater Treasury bonus than their spending on the NHS - so the NHS would've folded years ago if it hadn't have been for folks like me who avoid gambling etc as my few vices. And on top of covering the NHS I also help keep business going.
So why not hit manufacturers - not with fines - with dictated 12 month improvements where the addictive elements come out of the product. Or they stop plastic at source and find new ways of packaging.
Why are spirits taxed less in general than alcohol - don't MP's want to cough up more in their already subsidised Parliament bars as they sexually harass employees?
You're spot on - get healthy food at affordable prices to the masses, not the few.
That's not what the Gov wants and until that changes, nothing will.
If you earn a £1000 a week compared to £250 and you're addicted to fags, you can swallow the tax without it effecting your shopping. The addiction doesn't lessen and that's why the whole approach to this has been a clusterfuck on every level for the last decade plus.
MP's sip their expensive and subsidised alcohol et al daily, then wonder why benefits claimants don't use that money for what its intended....but the MP's won't give up their subsidy to save the country money will they.