Blackcurrant drinks should be exempt from the Government's sugar tax, drinks makers including Ribena have suggested, as Treasury documents reveal a number have asked for special treatment by the Treasury.

In a paper published today the Treasury said a number of respondents to its consultation had argued that blackcurrants "need sugar to be palatable due to the astringent taste", adding that they "have a high vitamin content compared to other fruit juices and should be exempt on the grounds of their health benefits".

Peter Harding, chief executive at Ribena, told the Daily Telegraph: "Super fruits like blackcurrants are high in antioxidants and we should be allowed to make it [Ribena] palatable, but obviously the levy is not designed to make that happen."

Ribena recently reformulated its drinks so they contain less sugar and has pledged to reduce sugar levels in its drinks to less than 4.5g per 100g, below the Government threshold for the tax being introduced from 2018.

Its Tokyo-based scientists are currently devising ways to reformulate the drink to maximise taste, at the same time as reducing sugar.