NVB: Bread deserves a 0% VAT rate

The bakery industry has already taken a number of successful steps to guarantee the health of Dutch citizens. In order to reinforce the industry's actions, steps must also be taken by the government. A low VAT rate makes healthy bread more attractive and even more accessible. The Dutch Bakery Association (NVB) therefore wants to lower the VAT rate on bread in the eat well plate from 9% to 0%.

Steps taken by the bakery sector

The most important step is the reduction of salt in bread. In 10 years' time, the salt content of bread has been reduced by more than 25%. In addition, the percentage of Dutch people eating wholemeal bread has been rising for six years in a row, from 38 percent in 2016 to 47 percent in 2021.

And the bakery has a sector recommendation to use at least 50% wholemeal flour for the flour in brown bread. In doing so, it meets the fibre criteria for brown bread in the Dutch eat well plate.

Insufficient consumption of brown and wholemeal bread

Yet less than half of the adults eat at least the recommended amount of 90 grams of brown and wholemeal bread and cereal products per day. Only 11% of the total population consumes the minimum recommended quantities for bread in the Dutch eat well plate.

Stimulating bread consumption

One of the most important possibilities still to be implemented to increase the consumption of bread products from the eat well plate is to stimulate healthy food products fiscally. A low VAT rate makes healthy bread more appealing and accessible to everyone.

Position on bread and VAT

That is why the Dutch Bakery Association (NVB) is an explicit supporter of reducing VAT from 9% to 0% on bread in the eat well plate. The NVB calls on the government to include bread as a healthy basic food in the plans to bring fruit and vegetables to the 0% level. This will increase the consumption of bread products per person.

Nedverbak.nl