Tesco Ribena and Capri Sun ban: What’s next off the shelves, Coke, Haribo, Ketchup? These are the odds on how likely that is
First they came for the Ribena and Capri Sun, now are they coming for our Coca Cola?
Tesco is removing sugary drinks aimed at kids from its shelves because of worries over obesity, and people are not happy about that at all.
Ribena, Capri Sun and Rubicon products that are the size of a kids lunchbox won't be on the supermarket shelves come September – unless they are sugar-free versions – but the full-size adult bottles of juice drink will remain, so no need to panic about Ribena shortages just yet.
Also remaining on the shelves are Coca-Cola, which contains roughly the same amount of sugar as both the blackcurrant and orange drinks (35g per 330ml can, versus 20g per 200ml carton or pouch), and similarly health damaging items such as beer and cigarettes.
That's caused some to remark that the move may be a little hypocritical. Or as Paddy Power puts it: “Banning sugary drinks – What next? Pilates in the aisles or Shaolin Monks on the tills.” And the odds on Coca-Cola being ditched by Tesco by the end of the year? That's 33/1, or about a two per cent chance.
Read more: If consumers can vote with their feet, Tesco can ban what it likes
What about Tesco's veritable banquet of other sugary delights?
Haribo, which of course, both kids and grown-ups love so (and containing 47g of sugar per100g), are more likely to get swept off, with odds of 10/1, or just over nine per cent probability, and lunchbox favourite Cheesestrings 11 per cent. It may not have any sugar, but it is made up of almost a quarter of fat.
Ketchup is almost certainly going nowhere, despite containing more than three grams of sugar in each 15g dollop (100/1) or beer (150/1) and pre-packed salads are here to stay at 500/1
Meanwhile, cigarettes which actually kill and have been increasingly restricted in how they appear to both adults and children are 40/1 to be dropped.