School food policies

• Greece: Artificial sweeteners are not allowed in junior high school and high school canteens for some beverages (chamomile, tea, sage).
• Hungary: no artificial sweetened soft drinks for school children <6 yrs.
• Latvia: Soft drinks with food additives (incl. sweeteners) not allowed, except for lunch.
• Malta: sweeteners are not allowed in schools, as part of the 'School Food and Beverage Standards'.
• Spain: Foods should be free from artificial sweeteners.
• Wales: fizzy soft drinks including diet or sugar free versions in primary and secondary schools are not allowed.
• Northern Ireland: artificial sweeteners permitted for combination drinks (combining water, milk, unsweetened fruit or veggie juice, yoghurt or milk drinks).

• The EU fruit and vegetable and milk scheme, financed through the EU's Common Agricultural Policy, provides fruit, vegetables and milk to children in schools, in order to increase increase their consumption. Among the criteria established, the products to be distributed to schools must not contain sweeteners or artificial flavour enhancers (DG AGRI).

Public food procurement policies (JRC 2022) 

• Some EU Member States limiting or avoiding the use of sweeteners in food preparation, particularly for young children and in schools, as well as discouraging the addition of sweeteners to drinks and pre-prepared foods.
• Most Member States mandate or provide guidance on the consumption of soft drinks and beverages, to convey that drinks with added sugar, sweeteners or other stimulants should not be served or made available. 

Soft drink tax

• Excise duty of €3.50 per hectolitre drinks with artificial sweeteners.  

• Tax applying variable rates on salt, sugar, caffeine content of various ready to eat food categories, including soft drinks. For example, tax amounts to 8 (≈0.02 €) per lire for soft drinks with sweeteners, and to 65 (≈0.15 €) for pre-packaged confectionary with sweeteners. Specific exemptions apply. 

Norway ( UNICEF 2019 )

• Tax rate of €0.14/L on non-alcoholic beverages (including SSBs and artificially sweetened beverages) 

Labelling legislation

• EU Regulation 1169/2011 on food information to consumers includes mandatory labelling rules related to intense sweeteners and polyols. See 4.2 for details

Voluntary labelling

• Sweeteners are not allowed in Keyhole products. The Keyhole health logo labelling system by the Swedish National Food Agency is used in Scandinavian countries. It is based on a nutrient profile model and aims to identify healthier packaged food choices within a food category, and to stimulate food manufacturers to reformulate and develop healthier products.

Public health campaign

• The UK Eatwell guide is a policy tool from Public Health England to define government recommendations on healthy eating. Concerning sugar reduction the guide states that 'If you add sugar to your food or drinks, gradually reduce the amount you add until your taste buds adapt and you can cut it out altogether. Alternatively try using a calorie free sweetener instead.'