British Government to restrict promotions of unhealthy foods

In April 2022, the UK will introduce a severe restriction on promotions of food and drink high in fat, salt or sugar. Obesity is a serious issue for the Brits.

Prohibition of multibuy promotions

The new rules only apply to products considered as HFSS (high in fat, salt or sugar). These include biscuits, sweets, crisps and soft drinks, but not all products within those categories are automatically HFSS. The so-called Nutrient Profiling Model of a product is the ultimate deciding factor.

From April 2022, retailers will no longer be allowed to carry out multibuy promotions such as ‘buy one, get one free’ or ‘3 for 2’ on such products. Stores over 185 sq metres will no longer be allowed to offer unhealthy products in prominent locations such as cash registers, shop entrances, aisle ends and their online equivalents (e.g. homepages). Finally, there will be a ban on free refills of sugary soft drinks in restaurants.

Making healthy choices

“We know that families want healthier choices. That’s why we are limiting promotions and introducing a range of measures to ensure the healthy choice is the easy choice,” said Health Minister Jo Churchill.

Obesity is one of the biggest health problems that the UK faces. Nearly two-thirds (63 per cent) of adults in England are overweight or obese, and one in three children leave primary school overweight or obese. Obesity-related diseases cost the UK’s national health service (NHS) 6 billion pounds (6.6 billion euros) annually.