Foods ban Scotland: Scottish Government proposes ban on promotion of foods high in fat, sugar and salt

The Scottish Government has proposed a ban on the promotion of unhealthy foods and drinks, such as restricting multi-buys, unlimited refills or selling at locations such as at checkouts and front of store

The Scottish Government has launched a consultation on banning the promotion of unhealthy foods and drinks, such as those high in fat, sugar and salt.

The consultation, which will run for 12 weeks, outline the details of proposed regulations aimed at “creating a food environment which better supports healthier choices”, according to the Government. Proposals include restricting multi-buys, unlimited refills, or selling at locations such as at checkouts and front of store.

Public health minister Jenni Minto said improving health and supporting people to eat well and have a healthy weight “is a public health priority”.

Proposals include restricting multi-buys, unlimited refills or selling at locations such as at checkouts and front of store

“We need to address the high levels of excess weight, obesity and poor diet we know are contributing to worsening trends in Scotland’s health,” she said. “The association between these issues and health outcomes such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers has been established for some time.

“We want to ensure Scotland is a place where we eat well and have a healthy weight. The Scottish Government is committed to restricting promotions of foods high in fat, sugar or salt at the point of purchase as research shows this is when people make decisions about what and how much to buy, for themselves and their families.”

However, David Thomson, chief executive of the Food and Drink Federation Scotland, said the proposals would “disproportionately impact small Scottish food and drink producers”.

"Today’s consultation from the Scottish Government creates a different set of trading regulations for businesses selling into the Scottish stores compared to that in other parts of the UK,” he said. "These proposals will disproportionately impact small Scottish food and drink producers and will make selling food in Scotland more complex and costly for everyone.”

Public Health Scotland and Food Standards Scotland have welcomed the Government’s consultation, with the organisations publishing a joint briefing paper calling for action to transform Scotland’s food environment into “one that supports and prioritises health”.

They have said Scotland is “far from meeting its healthy eating goals” and this will have a “direct impact” on the health of the population, “particularly on children living in less affluent areas” who are more likely to be exposed to unhealthy food on high streets and where childhood obesity rates are highest.

Paul Johnston, chief executive of Public Health Scotland, said nutritious food was “essential for our health”, but the chances of accessing healthy food depend “strongly on where we live”.

“In Scotland, people living in communities associated with poverty, are less likely to have access to affordable, healthy food and are more likely to experience poor health as a result,” he said.

“Cost-of-living pressures have put healthier options out of reach for many. Very often, the food that is most accessible and heavily promoted are those most damaging to our health. We must ensure that eating well is the easiest thing to do – not the hardest. It’s only through direct action, like addressing marketing behaviours on unhealthy food, that we can improve Scotland’s health and reduce the widening health inequalities we are experiencing.

“We welcome the Scottish Government’s consultation as an important opportunity to drive change, a turning point to creating a food system for the people of Scotland that puts health as the number one priority.”

Geoff Ogle, the chief executive of Food Standards Scotland, said the Government’s consultation was “a welcome move to target the heavy promotion of unhealthy food” and was “needed to rebalance our food environment and help address this critical public health issue”.

“Promotions and marketing of unhealthy foods are a major part of our food environment and now more than ever what surrounds us, shapes us,” said Mr Ogle.

“We know that promotions are skewed towards these unhealthy options and can encourage us to buy more than we intended to. If now is not the time to take action, when is?

“When levels of over-weight and obesity reach 85% from the current two thirds of the adult population? 'Not now' cannot be an argument any longer.

“We can’t rely on personal responsibility alone to change our eating habits any longer: that approach has not worked for at least forty years and won’t work now.

“And we have had significant increases in preventable diseases and higher costs to the NHS. Personal responsibility is a component, but it’s not the solution. We need to rebalance our food environment to support healthier options.”