England to ban unhealthy food displays at supermarket checkouts

Supermarkets will be banned from displaying unhealthy food and drink products close to the checkout counters, as well as using them in special offers including buy one get one free. The planned restrictions were praised by health campaigners as a “bold first step” in Downing Street’s promised campaign against obesity.

The checkout restrictions will apply to other areas of supermarket which are considered as sales-boosting, such as at the entrances to stores or at the end of aisles. Similar rules will apply for websites, banning sales links to unhealthy foods on places such as homepages, or at checkout or payment pages. Restaurants will no longer be able to offer free refills of sugary drinks.

The restrictions will not come into force until April 2022, but Government has pledged to carry out a consultation process first.

Some of the rules will only apply to the larger retailers, with the prohibitions on product placing applying to those outlets with more than 2,000 square feet.

Via The Guardian