United Biscuits has failed in its attempt to ensure that its McCoy’s Dips is classified as a food rather than a snack.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more


Under UK law, food produce is exempt from value added tax (VAT) while snacks are liable to the tax.


Snacks are defined as “potato crisps, potato sticks, potato puffs, and savoury products obtained by the swelling of cereals or cereal products; and salted or roasted nuts.” According to reports in the UK press, United Biscuits argued that its product requires an element of preparation and should therefore be classified as a food.


Dismissing United Biscuits’ appeal, chairman of the VAT Tribunal Colin Bishopp said “we are satisfied that dipping a crisp into a pot of salsa cannot amount to preparation in any normal sense of the word.”

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact