Supermarket Junk Food Restrictions Slash Sales by 2 Million Items Per Day

According to a recent independent analysis, new legislation in England aimed at restricting supermarket sales of junk food has led to a significant reduction in purchases of these products. The study, conducted by the University of Leeds, found that after the law was implemented in October 2022 as part of the UK Government's Childhood Obesity Strategy, the number of high-fat, high-sugar, and high-salt (HFSS) items sold per day dropped by an estimated 2 million.

The researchers analyzed 11.6 billion items sold at major supermarket chains, including Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsbury's, and Asda. Before the legislation, 20 out of every 100 items sold were HFSS products that fell within the scope of the new law. This number decreased to 19 after the policy was introduced.

In addition to the sales data, the study also surveyed nearly 2,000 shoppers to gauge their perceptions and behaviors. While 73% of respondents did not believe the legislation would impact their own shopping habits, 71% thought it would have a greater effect on others who did not plan their purchases as carefully. Interestingly, 90% of shoppers expressed that making healthier foods more affordable was just as or more important than the restrictions on less healthy items.

The study noted that the legislation was largely successful in going unnoticed, as 56% of shoppers did not notice any changes in stores. However, researchers emphasized that more needs to be done to make healthy and sustainable diets the easy choice for the population, in line with national dietary recommendations.