No more multibuys: UK government to ban unhealthy food promotions

22 Jul 2021 --- The UK government will restrict the in-store promotion of foods high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) from October 2022 in a bid to slash skyrocketing obesity weights. However, industry experts tell NutritionInsight that loopholes could remain, including for small retailers or in terms of portion sizing.

Businesses with 50 or more employees will now have to phase out their offering of multibuy promotions such as “buy one get one free” or “three for two” offers on HFSS products.

Less healthy promotions will no longer be featured in key locations, such as checkouts, store entrances, aisle ends and their online equivalents. Free refills of sugary soft drinks will also be prohibited in the eating-out sector.

As part of the regulations, the government will provide local authorities with the option of issuing civil penalties for non-compliance with the promotions’ restrictions.

The measures, which were announced at the start of the year, are estimated to accrue combined health benefits of approximately £60 million (US$83 million) over the next 25 years. Obesity-related illnesses cost the NHS £6 billion (US$8 billion) a year.

Room for improvement
Many high fat and sugar products are sold in smaller outlets and contribute to health issues, according to Clare Thornton-Wood, registered dietitian and British Dietetic Association (BDA) spokesperson. “It would be good to consider if the policy could be applied to all outlets regardless of size.” 

“While we understand the limitations for small stores in terms of location-based promotions, we did not see the reason to exempt small businesses from that type of price promotion on HFSS food and drink,” adds Barbara Crowther, co-ordinator, Children’s Food Campaign at Sustain.

She would also like to see a strong commitment to ongoing review and potential future extension of the restrictions in terms of the product categories exempted, and also to monitor other forms of price promotion that may take the place of multibuy deals.

Meanwhile, Thornton-Wood stresses that nutritional scores should be kept under review to ensure that the 100 g benchmark continues to be an appropriate benchmark. There is a two-stage process to define what products are captured by the promotions restrictions.

Too strict?
The UK’s Food and Drink Federation (FDF) is “disappointed” that the government is restricting promotion. 

“Nonetheless, we are pleased to see that the Government has listened to industry and has delayed the implementation period by six months to October 2022,” says chief scientific officer Kate Halliwell.

This will allow businesses more time to adopt the upcoming restrictions. “However, we still await vital information, including detailed guidance on product categories captured by the restrictions and updated guidance on the Nutrient Profile Model.” 

The government says it will work with businesses, trade associations and local authorities to ensure they are supported in implementing the new requirements ahead of them coming into force. This will include sharing draft guidance with industry and local authorities to provide further clarity on how these restrictions will need to be implemented in practice.

Supporting healthier lifestyles
The measures are part of a pandemic-spurred UK push toward healthier weights and overall lifestyles. The government will also prohibit HFSS advertisements on TV before 9 p.m. and remove them from online marketing entirely.

“We want to support everyone to eat healthier foods more regularly. This starts with helping supermarkets and manufacturers promote healthier food choices lower or free from HFSS to support families to make healthier choices,” says public health minister Jo Churchill.

Obesity is one of the country’s biggest health crises as almost two-thirds (63 percent) of adults in England are overweight or living with obesity. Additionally, one in three children leaves primary school overweight or obese.

By Katherine Durrell