In 2015, the market for fruit juices, energy and juice drinks is estimated to have declined in value by 0.6% year on year and by 0.8% in volume terms, according to a report by Key Note.

Decline in the market in recent years has mainly been driven by the high profile campaign against sugar, with numerous public health organisations, officials and other stakeholders issuing warnings, widely reported across media outlets, about excessive sugar consumption as a contributing factor to the prevalence of obesity and diabetes in the UK.

Soft drinks have largely borne the brunt of attacks in the so called war on sugar, with carbonated beverages highlighted as a key contributor to sugar intake among adults, while juice drinks account for one of the major sources of intake among children. Fruit juices have also been affected significantly in recent years as a result of warnings in 2013 regarding their high levels of fruit sugars, or fructose; this had such a dramatic impact on the market as fruit juices are advertised to adults and children as healthy beverages on the basis of their all fruit content. With continued pressure on government to tackle sugary soft drinks, two key public bodies, Public Health England and the House of Commons Health Committee, endorsed the suggestion of additional taxation on full sugar soft drinks as a means of reducing sugar intake.

Additional taxation has been heavily criticised by the industry and the current government has so far resisted additional tax measures, preferring instead to rely on reformulation and similar activities by the industry. However, its plans for sugar reduction measures, including financial controls, are expected to be revealed during 2016 in its upcoming childhood obesity strategy, following the considerable impact of the public debate on sales across the soft drinks market and as a flood of criticism increasingly spreads among consumers.