Supermarkets in England should be banned from displaying unhealthy food and drinks at checkout counters or from using them for buy, take one for free, as part of a government crackdown on obesity.
The planned restrictions were praised by health activists as a “bold first step” in the promised Downing Street campaign against obesity.
Check-out restrictions will apply to other sales increase locations, such as store entrances or at the end of aisles. Similar rules apply to websites, prohibiting links to sell unhealthy foods in places such as homepages, checkout or payment pages. Restaurants will no longer be able to offer free refills of sugary drinks.
The restrictions will not take effect until April 2022 and will undergo a consultation process first.
The rules on promotions – which would also disrupt all bulk purchases of food and drinks high in fat or sugar – would apply only to larger retailers with 50 or more employees. Location limits for unhealthy foods are for stores over 2,000 square feet, with exemptions for specialty retailers such as chocolate shops.
This follows Boris Johnson’s promise earlier this year to reduce levels of overweight and obesity. Johnson made the commitment after his serious coronavirus attack, which the prime minister believed was made worse by the fact that he was overweight.
The plans were well received by campaign groups, with Action on Sugar saying ministers should resist any lobbying efforts by the food industry.
Prof Graham MacGregor, chairman of the group, said: “Finally, Downing Street is acting decisively with a bold first step to restrict the sale of junk food in multi-buy offers and boxes, and taking on one of the biggest threats to the future Britain’s health – childhood obesity. “
Caroline Cerny, of the Obesity Health Alliance, which brings together more than 40 health organizations, medical schools and campaign groups, said the hope is that promotions will be placed on healthier foods.
She said: “Retailers won’t be able to impulsively tempt us to buy cans of candy at supermarket entrances … The new rules will not apply until mid-2022, so retail and the food industry have a lot of time to prepare and switch your promotions to healthier foods and drinks. “
Diabetes UK policy director Helen Kirrane said the restrictions were a “positive step in helping people across the UK to make healthier choices when it comes to their food store”.
The definition of foods and drinks with a high fat or sugar content will be based on existing guidelines, but include items such as chocolate and sweets, chips, soft drinks and milk with sugar or drinks with juice, cakes, sweets and puddings, cookies, cereals, yogurts, pizza, ready meals and chips.
The government argues that instead of saving money for people, promotions for unhealthy items tend to mean that people simply buy more, while end-of-aisle displays can increase sales of soft drinks by 50%.
“Creating an environment that helps everyone eat healthier food more regularly is crucial to improving the nation’s health,” said Jo Churchill, the minister of public health.
In England, 63% of adults are classified as overweight or living with obesity, while a third of children leave primary school as overweight or obese.