Supermarkets hit out at government plans to cut calories from Brits’ baskets
UK supermarket bosses have hit out at part of the government’s latest plans to reduce obesity in the UK, arguing that the strategy will up costs and won’t make any difference to public health.
The government plans to set a new standard for products on supermarket shelves as part of its 10-year plan for the NHS, which is struggling with an obesity crisis.
Asda chair Allan Leighton warned ministers to “consider the cumulative regulatory burden and costs supermarkets are already bearing”.
“Engaging us collectively and genuinely to meet the challenge of rising obesity would harness that expertise to deliver tangible and lasting outcomes.
“We are supportive of prevention and our role in delivering it. We – the supermarkets – are part of the solution, not the problem,” Leighton added.
Supermarkets will be required to report sales data, and those that do not hit the new standard may face financial penalties.
The government said the proposal was necessary to cut the cost of obesity to the NHS – currently £11.4bn a year.
But M&S boss Stuart Machin told the Telegraph that the proposals “will likely add cost with no discernible improvement in public health”.
“The easy opt-out is to target supermarkets, when almost half the public use takeaways and fast food weekly. And it is just plain wrong they are ignoring alcohol, which is also calorie dense,” Machin said.
Other supermarkets have supported the plans, with Aldi CEO Giles Hurley “welcoming” the announcement.
“We will continue to report on our healthier food sales and look forward to working with the Government and industry to ensure customers always have access to healthy affordable food,” Hurley.
Tesco CEO Ken Murphy, who has previously supported ‘nudging’ customers to make healthier choices through personalized marketing, said reporting on sales data was “key to more evidence-led policy and better-targeted health interventions”.
“We look forward to working with [the government] on the detail of the Healthy Food Standard and its implementation by all relevant food businesses.”