(NaturalNews) The threat of being subjected to a government sugar tax is prompting British beverage manufacturers to reduce sugar content by more than 50 percent in their products.

British supermarket chain Tesco recently announced it will cut sugar levels in all 251 of its soft drink products to less than 5 grams per 100 ml – under the limit at which the levy will apply when it goes into effect in 2018.

Following Tesco's example, the maker of two popular British drink brands, Lucozade and Ribena, has just announced that it too will reduce the amount of sugar in all of its drinks to avoid the tax.

Lucozade Ribena Suntory (LRS) plans to lower the sugar content in its products to less than 4.5 grams of sugar per 100 ml – a "brave and courageous" move, according to LRS chief operating officer Peter Harding.

"Today's announcement is a game-changer for our business and for those people who love and enjoy our drinks," he said. "The world has changed, with consumers now wanting healthier drinks and more action from the brands they regularly enjoy."

Although some LRS beverages already contain less than the taxable amount of sugar – Lucozade Sport, for example, contains 3.6 grams of sugar per 100 ml – other products have lots of sugar.

From The Daily Mail:

"Currently, Lucozade Energy Orange contains 13g of sugar per 100ml, while Ribena Blackcurrant has 10g over the same measurement.

"Orangina also has 10g of sugar per 100ml, while V Energy contains 11.2g."

The sugar reduction plans by Tesco and LRS have been applauded by British health officials – regarding the LRS announcement, health secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "It's action that proves taking added sugar out of drinks is both possible and meets the expectations of many consumers."
 

Will the sugar tax really make a difference?

In cutting sugar content, beverage makers will avoid the roughly 25p per can levy, but the industry faces a challenge in terms of making sure the drinks still taste good enough to attract consumers.