Promotions on food and drinks high in fat, salt, or sugar in retailers will be restricted from April 2022, the Government has confirmed.
The new rules, designed to support the nation to make healthier choices, will prohibit retailers from offering multibuy promotions such as 'buy one get one free' or '3 for 2' offers on these products, while free refills of sugary soft drinks will also be prohibited in the eating-out sector.
Unhealthy promotions will also no longer be featured in key locations, such as at checkouts, store entrances, aisle ends and their online equivalents.
Data show these deals increase purchases of promoted products by almost 20 per cent and encourage people to buy more than they need/intended to buy, said the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
The location of products within stores can lead to 'pester power' from children and can also significantly affect people’s purchases. For example, end-of-aisle displays have been shown to increase soft drink sales by over 50 per cent.
These changes will make supermarkets and other retailers places where the healthy choice is the easy choice for everyone and support people to lead healthier lives, said the DHSC.
The announcement forms a key part of the government’s strategy to tackle obesity and get the nation fit and healthy. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the fore the effect that obesity can have on people’s health and health outcomes, said the DHSC.
Obesity remains one of the UK’s biggest health crises. Almost two-thirds (63%) of adults in England are overweight or living with obesity, and one in three children leave primary school overweight or obese. Obesity-related illnesses cost the NHS £6 billion a year.
An eight-week technical consultation was launched online in late December to seek views from industry stakeholders and enforcement bodies on how these new policies can be implemented.
This article originally appeared on Univadis, part of the Medscape Professional Network.
