Major change to meal deals to be introduced in part of the UK

Unhealthy meal deals and offers for multiple purchases, including junk food, will be banned in Wales from next year, officials have announced.

The measure aims to improve diets and prevent obesity by preventing foods high in fat, sugar and salt from being included in offers, the Welsh government said.

Under the sweeping new rules, unhealthy food will no longer be displayed at the end of aisles or in other prominent locations to reduce impulse buys.

Similar rules, although not for meal deals, were due to come into effect in England in October, but have been delayed for two years due to skyrocketing food prices.

Health campaigners say the approach is vital to curbing Britain’s bulging waistline, reducing ill health and easing pressure on the NHS, while critics are calling it a ‘nanny state’ policy.

The Welsh government said the new law, which will ‘improve diets and help prevent obesity’, will be introduced in 2024 and rolled out across the country by 2025.

Supermarkets including Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s offer meal deals that combine a sandwich, drink and snack for a fixed price.

The legislation focuses only on foods and drinks high in fat, sugar and salt that contribute most to obesity. All companies with more than 50 persons must comply.

It did not name specific products that would be subject to restrictions.

Earlier this year, a study found that only a quarter of deals contained less than 600 calories – the government’s lunchtime recommendation – and that the worst offender, who was not named, contained 1,329 calories.

Six in ten adults in England and Wales are of a healthy weight and more than a quarter of children are overweight or obese by the time they start school.

Weighing too much increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.

A survey by Public Health Wales found that there is strong public support for measures to make food healthier: 57 per cent support taxes to reduce sugar in foods and 84 per cent of respondents plan to maintain a healthy weight next year achieve or maintain.

The measures will encourage the food and retail industry to consider how to make healthier options more affordable, such as promotions for healthier foods or reducing the fat, sugar and salt content of foods so that “no one is priced at a healthy diet’. the government hopes.

Officials are still considering whether other anti-obesity measures, such as displaying calories on restaurant menus and banning the sale of energy drinks to those under 16, should also be rolled out.

Lynne Neagle, the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Welfare, said the legislation will further ‘our commitment to improving diets and helping to prevent obesity in Wales’.

She said: “We will not ban any product or type of promotion.

“Our goal is to rebalance our food environment toward healthier products, making the healthy choice the easy choice.”

Ms Neagle added: ‘Our next generation deserves a different ‘normal’ where healthier foods are more available, affordable and attractive, and high fat, sugar and salt foods are not a core part of our diet. Our current and future generations deserve better.’

Gemma Roberts, co-chair of Obesity Alliance Cymru said: ‘There is an obesity crisis in Wales and we are pleased that the Welsh Government is proposing legislation that will help the people of Wales make healthy choices.

Price promotions are marketing techniques used to drive sales and increase consumption. They are not free gifts and they do not save us money.

“We are in the middle of a cost of living crisis and consumers are bombarded with price promotions that increase spending on the most unhealthy products. Wales needs to shift the balance and support families to make buying fruit and vegetables easier.’

It comes after Rishi Sunak postponed a ban on “buy one, get one free” deals earlier this month after colleagues condemned the “nanny state” scheme.

The prime minister said it was not right to go ahead with the plan, part of a crackdown on obesity, amid the cost of living crisis.

The policy had already been postponed to October 2023. It has now been extended by two years.

Mr Sunak faced an uprising over the issue after a government impact assessment found that the move would save people three calories a day. Tory MP Philip Davies labeled the policy “crazy”.

The Prime Minister said: “I firmly believe in people’s right to choose – and at a time when household budgets are under constant pressure from the global rise in food prices, it is not fair for the government to limit choice for consumers in their weekly shopping. .

“It’s good that we’re carefully considering the impact on consumers and businesses while making sure we strike the balance with our important mission to reduce obesity and help people live healthier lives.”