British public back ban on selling junk foods at checkouts, study shows

• Shoppers join food industry and health experts in backing UK plans to ban high fat, salt and sugar products from checkouts, store entrances and aisle ends


• Consumers and retailers were asked about the impact of new government legislation aiming to restrict how unhealthy food is sold


• Scientists behind investigation say ban can curb impulse buys that cause obesity – but warn of loopholes and limited resources that could undermine health benefits

A ban on selling junk foods from store entrances, aisle ends and checkouts should continue after a new study found the plans were largely backed by the British public and food industry.

Legislation to restrict the placement of products high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) was introduced by the UK government in October last year as part of efforts to tackle obesity.

More than 100 people across the UK’s food supply chain were interviewed for the investigation, which was led by researchers from University of Southampton and City, University of London, and funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

Investigation lead Professor Christina Vogel, Deputy Director of the Centre for Food Policy, City, University of London, labelled the plans a “world leading” move that could shift the UK away from unhealthy and unsustainable diets, if adopted alongside other anti-obesity legislations.

She said:

This novel food policy marks important changes that can help create healthier shopping environments for customers. But it is essential to monitor how well it is being implemented across all store types and identify what more is needed for it to have maximum benefit for everyone.

The study, published in the journal BMC Medicine, found that retailers, manufacturers, consumers, enforcement officers and health representatives across England’s food system felt the legislation is a good first step towards tackling obesity.

However, the results did reveal concerns about the exemption of certain foods and businesses, the high cost of healthy products, and the possibility that some businesses may exploit loopholes to continue marketing nutritionally-poor products – which could weaken the intended effects of the legislation.

Dr Sarah Muir, from the MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Centre at the University of Southampton, said:

The support from people across our food system demonstrates this government legislation is important and should be continued. To ensure businesses across the country can adhere to the new rules, all retailers and manufacturers need easy access to a tool that accurately measures the fat, salt and sugar content and other nutrients in products.

The study also identified that smaller businesses need extra support to offer healthier foods while remaining financially secure. Local authorities who are working with businesses in their area to support compliance also need ring-fenced resources because their teams are already stretched.

Preeti Dhuria, also from the University of Southampton, added:

To achieve meaningful dietary change, the people we spoke to noted that this legislation will need to be refined over time to close loopholes, and that a long-term strategy targeting the pricing, marketing, advertising and reformulation of foods will be needed.

Read the study in the journal, BMC Medicine.

Funding

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)

The mission of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. We do this by:

• Funding high quality, timely research that benefits the NHS, public health and social care;
• Investing in world-class expertise, facilities and a skilled delivery workforce to translate discoveries into improved treatments and services;
• Partnering with patients, service users, carers and communities, improving the relevance, quality and impact of our research;
• Attracting, training and supporting the best researchers to tackle complex health and social care challenges;
• Collaborating with other public funders, charities and industry to help shape a cohesive and globally competitive research system;
• Funding applied global health research and training to meet the needs of the poorest people in low and middle income countries.
• NIHR is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care. Its work in low and middle income countries is principally funded through UK Aid from the UK government.