NHS bosses have told a fish and chip shop that it must sell fruit and vegetables in addition to its regular offering before it can open.
A takeaway in Morfa Bychan, Gwynedd, North Wales, has been told it must offer ‘a good selection’ of fruit and vegetables, and reduce the fat, salt and sugar content of its dishes.
Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board believes the store’s proximity to the popular Black Rock Sands beach could endanger tourists and expose locals to unhealthy food all year round.
The availability of fast food restaurants was said to be a factor contributing to ‘higher weight status among the general population’, as well as obesity and poor nutrition of children in low-income areas.
A fish and chip shop in Wales has been told by a health board that it must offer fruit and vegetables
Health bosses have said the proposed takeaway should offer ‘a good selection’ of healthy products and reduce the amount of fat, salt and sugar in the dishes
The takeaway should also offer customers ‘access to free tap water’ or provide free water bottle refills to promote healthy wellbeing, health bosses added.
The plans for the fish and chip shop have also attracted separate objections from Porthmadog Council due to concerns about traffic and parking, and because the proposed new business is an overdevelopment with a similar establishment already operating nearby.
Citing five other fast food restaurants within a mile of the proposed store, the health board said in a statement in response to the planning application: ‘The location of this site is not suitable for this application due to the proliferation/concentration of existing hot food . takeaways/restaurants that mainly sell food and drinks high in fat, salt and sugar.’
It says 60 per cent of adults in Wales are obese or overweight, as are 25.7 per cent of children aged 4 to 5.
But it added: ‘While we have expressed our concerns in our response, there are small changes and nudges that can be made to the menu to encourage and provide healthier food and drink options.
Betsi Cadwaladr health board said offering more green products would help the new company ‘contribute to the economic prosperity of the area in a safe way’
‘These healthier options would ensure that the proposed development can safely contribute to the area’s economic prosperity, which in itself helps improve public health.’
The intervention comes amid several measures taken by the Welsh Government to tackle obesity.
In July it was announced that restaurants could be banned from offering customers free refills of fizzy or sugary drinks.
Supermarkets could be restricted from offering buy-one-get-free promotions on some products and could be required to move high-fat products away from entrances and checkouts, as well as to the home pages of websites.