Government delays price promotion restrictions on less healthy food and drinks to 2025
View media coverage of our response to the delay
Late on Friday, the Government announced that they were pushing back the implementation of multi-buy price promotion restrictions on food and drink high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) to October 2025, a time outside of their current term of office. The restrictions were due to be introduced in October 2023, having already been delayed by a year from October 2022.
The Government introduced The Food (Promotion and Placement) (England) Regulations back in 2021 to restrict price promotions, yet they have bizarrely chosen to delay this key policy for four years by citing ‘people’s right to choose’ and the global rise in food prices. The Government’s own data shows that multi-buy price promotions cause consumers to spend 22% more than they intended, as these promotions are typically applied to less healthy food and drinks that are not the staple products essential for feeding and nourishing us. The restrictions are a key component of the Government's evidence-based childhood obesity strategy, designed to work with existing locations promotions and the delayed advertising restrictions, to reduce excess and unnecessary calories in the diet.
We strongly condemn the unethical actions of the Government in delaying these restrictions. Currently, more than one in three children (38%) leave primary school with overweight or obesity. Any policies which could reduce this prevalence and prevent unnecessary health conditions should be championed and implemented without delay, particularly as the NHS is spending £6.5 billion annually on treatments for health conditions related to poor diets.
Tesco and Sainsbury’s have already phased out price promotions and they should not be penalised for being proactive; this policy would have created a level playing field, ensuring all supermarkets acted in the best interests of their consumers’ health, and their bank balance.
We strongly urge the Government to reverse this delay and implement the price promotion restrictions as intended in October. Delays to 2025 are unjustified and baseless.
Professor Graham MacGregor, Chairman for Action on Salt and Action on Sugar, said: “Scrapping the already delayed multi-buy price promotions policy, which is part of the Government’s own evidence-based childhood obesity strategy, would be unforgiveable – especially given two thirds of adults are living with overweight or obesity and putting real pressure on the NHS. The Government’s own data shows these promotions cause people to spend 20% more than they intended, so why would the Government not want to address this and make it easier for families to buy healthier food instead? Otherwise it will exacerbate the already widening health inequalities by making healthier, nutritious food less accessible to those who need it most”.
Mhairi Brown RNutr, Policy and Public Affairs Lead for Action on Sugar and Action on Salt, said: “Price promotions are typically applied to less healthy food – this is not a ‘deal’ for consumers, who just want to buy store cupboard essentials, for less. These types of promotions are just a marketing tactic the food industry use to get us to buy more junk food, which is why the Government wanted to introduce a policy to curb the promotions in the first place. The delay to after the next general election is a failure for public health, and yet another indication that the nation’s health is not a priority for the current Government.”
