13/11/2012 (Agence Europe) - Abolition of fat tax. On 12 November, FoodDrinkEurope, a European pressure group of food and drink industries, welcomed the Danish government's decision to scrap the country's “fat tax” that was introduced in October 2011 on high-calorie food and drink. The organisation criticised the tax for being discriminatory because it artificially inflates food prices in Denmark, meaning that people buy food elsewhere, which causes job losses; it adds red tape and damages the competitiveness of European industry; and it doesn't actually help reduce the weight of the general population. The only way to change the behaviour of consumers who eat too much is by awareness-raising campaigns involving all stakeholders (the public authorities, healthcare organisations, civil society and industry), says FoodDrinkEurope in a press release. (FG/transl.fl)