HEALTH: The project, subject to a consultation process before possible application in 2022, also targets gondola heads and entrances to supermarkets over 185 m²
The British government is considering banning the sale of unhealthy food at the checkout of supermarkets larger than 185 m² in England. Sweets, confectionery, crisps and sugary drinks are particularly targeted by this measure to fight obesity. It is only a project for the moment. It will be the subject of a consultation process and will not come into force before April 2022, specifies The Guardian.
In addition to checkouts, gondola heads and areas located at the entrance to supermarkets would be affected by the ban. If the text is adopted, those in charge of large-scale distribution would also no longer have the right to offer promotions of the type “one bought, one offered” on the foods concerned. Wholesale of very fatty or very sweet foods would be banned in supermarkets employing more than 50 people.
A “daring first step”
The websites of stores are also targeted by the measure. Links to unhealthy articles or certain price reductions will not be able to appear on the home page of the sites or during the payment stage. In their campaign to limit the harmful effects of overweight and obesity, the British authorities are also considering banning sugary drinks in unlimited quantities in certain restaurants.
Today, 63% of the British are obese or overweight. This is also the case for a third of the country’s children at the age of entering college. “Creating an environment that helps everyone eat healthier foods more often is crucial to improving the health of the Nation,” said Secretary of State for Public Health Jo Churchill. The head of the organization Action on Sugar, for his part, described the bill as “a daring first step”.
