Wales is set to implement new legislation aimed at restricting the placement and price promotion of products high in fat, sugar, and salt.
The move, which is scheduled to be introduced in 2024 and rolled out across the country by 2025, is part of a broader commitment to improving diets and combating obesity by placing limitations on how foods containing high levels of fat, sugar, or salt can be promoted.
Under the new law, volume-based promotions like multi-buys will be prohibited, and restrictions will be imposed on where products high in fat, sugar, or salt can be displayed, such as at the ends of aisles. Temporary price promotions and meal deals will also be subject to restrictions, aimed at addressing the scale of the challenge. While meal deals and other types of promotions will not be banned outright, the inclusion of the unhealthiest products will be curtailed.
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Currently, products high in fat, sugar, or salt tend to receive more aggressive promotion and greater prominence in stores. This encourages impulse purchases, leading individuals to buy, consume, and spend more on unhealthy foods than originally intended.
The prevalence of overweight and obese individuals in Wales is a pressing concern, with over 60% of adults above a healthy weight and more than a quarter of children overweight or obese by the time they begin school. This has significant implications for public health, with obesity-related diseases like type 2 diabetes reaching record levels in the country.
A recent survey conducted by Public Health Wales, titled Time To Talk Public Health, revealed strong public support for government action to make food healthier. Approximately 57% of respondents agreed that governments should utilize financial tools such as taxes to reduce sugar levels in highly sugary foods. Furthermore, 84% of respondents expressed their intention to take action within the next 12 months to achieve or maintain a healthy weight.
While the legislation will not cover all products high in fat, sugar, and salt, it will primarily target food and drinks that contribute most significantly to obesity.
The hope is that these measures will encourage the food and retail industry to explore ways in which healthier options can be made more accessible and affordable, ensuring that no one is priced out of a healthy diet. This could involve providing more promotions on healthier food choices or reducing the fat, sugar, and salt content of products that fall within the restrictions.
To facilitate operations across borders, products falling under the new legislation will align with those covered by similar legislation in England. The Welsh Government will also collaborate closely with the food industry, offering guidance and support to encourage the reformulation of products in order to reduce levels of fat, sugar, or salt.
Other proposals considered during the consultation process, including out-of-home settings such as calorie labelling and banning the sale of energy drinks to children under 16, are still under review pending further evidence.
The Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, Lynne Neagle said:
“This legislation will take forward our commitment to improve diets and help prevent obesity in Wales. Whilst similar legislation is also being introduced in England, I am minded to include temporary price reductions and meal deals within our restrictions.
“We will not be banning any product or type of promotion, our aim is to rebalance our food environments towards healthier products, so that the healthy choice becomes the easy choice.
“This is an important part of the jigsaw as part of our Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales strategy as part of a multi-component approach. Our next generation deserve a different ‘normal’ where healthier foods are more available, affordable and appealing, and high fat, sugar and salt foods are not a core part of our diet. Our current and future generations deserve better.”
Enforcement measures related to the new legislation are expected to be addressed in a consultation later this year.
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