Publications

Research from our members

Recent papers, reports and policy briefs contributed by network members, verified before listing. We take "taxation" in a broad sense — covering both sides of fiscal policy on food: taxes and levies, as well as subsidies and public spending instruments.

Taxation of foods high in fat, sugar, and sodium in India: A modelling study of health and economic impacts
Maxime Roche, Jingmin Zhu, Jack Olney, Daniel J. Laydon, William Joe, Manika Sharma, Lindsay Steele, Franco Sassi — PLOS Medicine, January 2026

Modelling study estimating that raising India's Goods and Services Tax to 40% on foods high in fat, sugar and sodium could avert close to 19 million disability-adjusted life years and over $18 billion in health expenditure over 30 years, while significantly increasing tax revenue with only a minor effect on household spending.

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Adoption and acceptability of a Fruit and Vegetable Subsidy in Low-Income Households in urban Chile: the Bolsillo Saludable pilot feasibility study
Isabel Pemjean, Daniela Montes de Oca, Jonathan Lara-Arevalo, Shu Wen Ng, Lindsey Smith Taillie, Camila Corvalán — Current Developments in Nutrition, 2026

Feasibility study of a fruit and vegetable subsidy pilot ("Bolsillo Saludable") among low-income households in urban Chile, evaluating uptake and acceptability as a complement to fiscal measures on unhealthy food.

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Timing Matters: How Unconditional Cash Transfer Frequency Shapes Dietary Choices Among Vulnerable Older Adults
Deivis Nicolas Guzman-Tordecilla, Antonio Trujillo, Andres Vecino-Ortiz, Shu Wen Ng — Health Economics, June 2026

Study examining how the frequency of unconditional cash transfers — a public expenditure instrument — affects dietary choices among vulnerable older adults, informing the design of fiscal transfer policy aimed at improving diets.

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Can cash improve diet quality in old age? Evidence from a large-scale unconditional transfer
Deivis Nicolas Guzman-Tordecilla, Antonio Trujillo, Shu Wen Ng, Andres Vecino-Ortiz — World Development, February 2026

Evidence from a large-scale unconditional cash transfer programme — a public spending instrument — showing its effects on diet quality among older adults, contributing to the evidence base on fiscal tools that shape food consumption.

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Did Increases in SNAP Benefits from the Emergency Allotments and Thrifty Food Plan Modernization Shift Grocery Purchase Quality in North Carolina?
Alexandra Ross, Shu Wen Ng — American Journal of Preventive Medicine, May 2026

Analysis of whether increases in U.S. SNAP food-assistance benefits — a public expenditure programme — shifted the nutritional quality of grocery purchases in North Carolina, informing the design of food subsidy policy.

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Factors Influencing Water and Sweet Beverage Purchasing Decisions and Behaviours Among Low-Income Households in Four Peri-Urban Communities in Accra: An Exploratory Study
Christopher Delali Amegah, Gloria Adobea Odei Obeng-Amoako, Shu Wen Ng, Monica Lambon-Quayefio, Seth Adu-Afarwuah — International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, June 2026

Mixed-methods study evaluating consumer awareness, perceptions, and purchasing responses to Ghana's 20% ad valorem tax on bottled water and sweet beverages, including policy recommendations on tax design and revenue earmarking.

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Firm's responses to food policies to reduce consumption of ultra-processed food and beverages: lessons from the existing evidence
Juan Carlos Salgado, Bhairavi Jayaraman, Lindsey Smith Taillie, Shu Wen Ng — Food Policy, October 2025

Review of the evidence on how food and beverage companies respond to fiscal and regulatory policies aimed at reducing ultra-processed food consumption, including reformulation, pricing, and marketing responses to taxation.

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Resources

Fact sheets & briefs

Fact sheet: Why tax sugary drinks?
Global Food Research Program

Fact sheet: Why tax sugary drinks? →

Fiscal policies for a healthier food supply
Global Food Research Program

Fiscal policies for a healthier food supply →

Taxes on unhealthy foods and beverages
Global Food Research Program

Taxes on unhealthy foods and beverages →