Moving sweets ‘encourages healthy eating’

CUSTOMERS make healthier food purchases if sweets and snacks are removed from checkouts and the ends of aisles, according to a new study.

Scientists teamed up with Iceland supermarkets to trial new layouts including placing fruit and vegetables near store entrances.

The results of the research, published in the journal PLOS Medicine, showed confectionery sales decreased while the sales of fruit and vegetables went up.

Dr Christina Vogel, principal research fellow in public health nutrition at the University of Southampton, said: “Altering the layouts of supermarkets could help people make healthier food choices and shift population diet towards the Government’s dietary recommendations.

“The findings of our study suggest that a healthier store layout could lead to nearly 10,000 extra portions of fruit and vegetables and approximately 1,500 fewer portions of confectionery being sold on a weekly basis in each store.”

The researchers said the study was more comprehensive than previous studies which have been more limited in scope, for example by only examining a single location or by placing healthy and unhealthy products together.