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Most ‘buy one get one free’ junk food to be banned in 2022

“Buy one, get one free” offers on unhealthy food will be banned from April 2022, the government has confirmed.

It said that it would press ahead with plans to prohibit multibuy promotions on food and drink that is high in fat, salt or sugar, set out in a consultation on its anti-obesity strategy in July.

Big stores will not be allowed to feature those foods in key locations such as at checkouts, near entrances or at the end of aisles — or in their online equivalents such as website homepages. Restaurants and cafés will be banned from offering free refills of sugary soft drinks.

Jo Churchill, the public health minister, said: “We know families want to be presented with healthier choices. This is why we are restricting promotions and introducing a range of measures to make sure the healthy choice is the easy choice. Creating an environment which helps everyone eat healthier foods more regularly is crucial to improving the health of the nation.”

The restrictions on promotions will apply to businesses with 50 or more employees, and location restrictions to stores of more than 2,000 square feet.

About two thirds of adults in England are overweight or obese, with the NHS spending £6 billion each year on obesity-related illnesses.

The latest announcement follows proposals in November to ban advertising of unhealthy food online, with only “factual” claims allowed on websites. Junk food adverts are to be banned from television before the watershed.

Caroline Cerny, of the Obesity Health Alliance, said: “Some retailers have already taken welcome steps to help their customers be healthier by removing sweets from checkouts, but this has been inconsistent and this policy will help create a level playing field. Taking the spotlight off junk food means the only ‘buy one, get one free’ offers we see will be on healthier foods.

“The new rules won’t apply until mid-2022, so the retail and food industry has plenty of time to prepare.”

Saul Konviser, from the Dental Wellness Trust, said: “Not only will the new restrictions on selling junk food in multibuy offers and at checkouts help tackle childhood obesity, it will also significantly reduce the number of cases of tooth decay.”

However, Tim Rycroft, chief operating officer of the Food and Drink Federation, said: “It is breathtaking and insulting that the government thinks it right to issue this document . . . at the end of a year in which food and drink manufacturers have continued to toil selflessly to keep the country fed during the Covid-19 pandemic.” He said that the government had ignored evidence from industry that the proposals would have a “devastating impact”.

An eight-week technical consultation on how the plans should be implemented will begin today.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/...-2022-bp2hxg9nv