Tesco will plough ahead with removing multi-buy promotions on sugary foods despite government delay
Supermarket giant Tesco has announced it will continue with plans to remove volume-led promotions of sugary foods, despite the government pushing back legislation by a year.
The supermarket said this decision had been taken after customer feedback that they wanted the business to help them make healthier choices.
Removing ‘buy one get one free’ promotions on products high in fat, sugar or salt (HFSS products) will go ahead from October 2022, the grocer said.
The government is expected to introduce legal curbs from October 2023.
“Our mission is to make Tesco the easiest place to shop for a healthy, more sustainable basket – while keeping the cost of the weekly shop in check. It’s vital that we keep making the right calls on behalf of customers and communities,” Tesco UK & ROI CEO Jason Tarry said.
“Customers are telling us they want to eat a more healthy, sustainable diet, but without having to stretch the weekly shopping budget,” Tarry added.
The supermarket said the full list of products affected by these changes would be confirmed nearer the time.
Last week, the Department of Health revealed its plans to curb “buy one get one free” deals, as well as free refills for soft drinks, had been postponed for a year while officials assess the impact of rising costs for households.
Tesco chief customer officer Alessandra Bellini added: “With more than eight in ten people reporting a rise in their cost of living, value is the number one factor that drives choice in our stores. We will always make sure our products are competitively priced. But we can’t stop there. Obesity levels are rising among adults and children and the health of our nation must also be at the top of our agenda.”
The government also announced that ambitions to block advertising of junk food and paid-for-ads online before watershed at 9pm had also been postponed until January 2024.
Celebrity chef and healthy food campaigner Jamie Oliver has been a vocal critic of the government’s u-turn on the rules.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson did not have “the backbone and spine to complete anything,” Oliver said on LBC’s James O’Brien programme on Wednesday.
“You have told us time and again that your government would deliver on its strategy, including ending junk food advertising to children, only to u-turn after the law has already passed,” he said.