Supermarkets including Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Aldi, and Lidl could face financial penalties if they fail to promote healthier food choices, following a bold new initiative by the UK Government to tackle obesity.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has unveiled a “healthy food standard” that will apply to retailers and manufacturers across England. This policy forms part of an ambitious 10-year strategy aimed at reducing diet-related diseases and encouraging better public health.
Innovated by the agency Nesta, the standard sets mandatory health targets for supermarkets, allowing flexibility in how they meet these goals. Options include reformulating recipes, offering price promotions on nutritious products, or redesigning store layouts to highlight healthier items.
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Under this plan, supermarkets will be required to report sales data regularly. Failure to meet the prescribed health targets could result in fines. Nesta’s research, which analyzed 36 million supermarket transactions, reveals the current average shopping basket health score is 67 out of 100. The target is to improve this score to 69.
Increasing the health score by just two points is projected to reduce obesity rates by around 20 percent within three years. This change could help more than three million people attain a healthier weight.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting emphasized the importance of small changes, stating, “If everyone who is overweight reduced their calorie intake by around 200 calories a day — the equivalent of a bottle of fizzy drink — obesity would be halved.”
He continued, “Our goal is for today’s children to become the healthiest generation ever. By implementing the healthy food standard, we are making the healthier choice the easier choice.”
Mandatory reporting is expected to be introduced by the end of the current parliament in 2029, with compliance targets to be met some years thereafter.
Industry leaders have shown support for the initiative. Tesco CEO Ken Murphy welcomed the announcement, while Sainsbury’s CEO Simon Roberts called it an “important and positive step forward” in promoting healthier eating nationwide.
Health organizations have also expressed approval. Katharine Jenner of the Obesity Health Alliance described the policy as “a fair and evidence-based prescription for better health.” Anna Taylor from the Food Foundation praised the mandatory reporting as a “game changer,” and Sonia Pombo of Action on Salt highlighted the shift of responsibility from individuals to the wider food system.
Environment Secretary Steve Reed added, “Our food strategy will align health objectives with food producers and retailers to nourish the nation more healthily while supporting economic growth within the food sector.”
This new policy marks a decisive move toward fostering healthier diets through collaboration between government, industry, and public health advocates.