A new Government-backed plan to reduce sugar in the soft drink industry is an attempt to avoid real change, according to Australian doctors.

Key points: Australian Beverages Council announced, alongside Health Minister Greg Hunt, it would reduce sugar use by 20 per cent by 2025

Australian Beverages Council announced, alongside Health Minister Greg Hunt, it would reduce sugar use by 20 per cent by 2025 The commitment is an average, so there is no guarantee any individual soft drink product would be required to reduce its sugar content

The commitment is an average, so there is no guarantee any individual soft drink product would be required to reduce its sugar content AMA says it's a distraction from the sugar tax issue, but industry says it has nothing to do with the sugar tax

The Australian Beverages Council, which represents the non-alcoholic beverage industry, today announced a commitment to reduce its sugar use by 20 per cent by 2025, in a move backed by the Coalition.

However, the commitment will be an average across the industry's portfolio, meaning a company could reduce its use of sugar simply by producing more low-kilojoule soft drinks or bottled water.

There is no guarantee within the commitment outlined that any individual soft drink product would be required to reduce its sugar content.

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has been leading calls for the Government to discourage the consumption of sugary drinks by imposing a tax on them.

AMA president Tony Bartone said the soft drink industry was trying to distract from those calls.

"This is an attempt to try and perhaps muddy the waters in terms of creating a … diversion from the real issue," Dr Bartone said.

"We consume too much sugar in our soft drinks, we consume too much soft drinks in total.

"A sugar tax will address this problem of trying to reduce the consumption, which is at the heart of the problem."

But Health Minister Greg Hunt said the industry was regulating itself.

"As a country, we can help tackle the obesity epidemic through the practice of industry, through participation, and with the support of government," he said.

"If you can work with the industry and get an outcome such as this, you get exactly the outcome we all want: healthier products, healthier children, and healthier adults."

Mr Hunt dismissed suggestions the move was an attempt to placate proponents of the sugar tax.

"That's not something we've supported, I know there are others that take that approach, whether it's in other countries, [or those] who advocate for it here, but we don't want to see the price of groceries go up; we want to see the cost of living continue to have downwards pressure on it," Mr Hunt said.

Nothing to do with sugar tax: industry

Both the Coalition and Labor have previously said they would not support a sugar tax, while the Greens have proposed a percentage increase to the price of sugary drinks.

A sugary drinks tax, operating in several countries including Britain and France, would boost beverage prices in a bid to discourage consumption.

However Geoff Parker from the Australian Beverages Council said self-regulation was a much more viable option.

Australian Beverages Council chief executive Geoff Parker announced the industry decision at Parliament House alongside Health Minister Greg Hunt. ( ABC News: Nick Haggarty )

"This has nothing to do with a sugar tax — both major political parties have rejected a tax," Mr Parker said.

"There is no discernible evidence from anywhere in the world that such a tax has any impact on public health. It continues to be a minority Greens policy.

"Consumers and households don't want governments in their shopping trolley, they don't want governments poking around in their fridges and they certainly don't want governments in their pantries.

"What this announcement does is crystallises what the industry has been doing for about two decades."

Dr Bartone however expressed further concerns about the scheme, under which a company could reduce its sugar use by producing more diet soft drinks.

"Diet soft drinks actually create more instability when it comes to hunger and appetite management, and in terms of an average daily intake of appropriate amounts of food," he said.

"[They] actually have a number of unintended health effects, including on your teeth, so it's important we try to use water as our default beverage, rather than turning to pseudo-sweetened beverages."