Supermarkets urge caution over plan to prohibit adverts for sugary products

RETAILERS have urged caution after it emerged that SNP ministers are considering moves to ban supermarket promotions on sugar-laden food and drinks.

Maureen Watt, the public health minister, said that the Scottish Government was encouraging retailers to “shift the balance” of their special offers to healthier products but admitted she was looking into what further action could be taken to reduce obesity rates, including around the issue of multi-buy promotions.

It follows concern that large retailers were undermining attempts to reduce consumption of sugary foods and soft drinks by offering a large number of tempting promotions on products which are linked to high obesity rates.

However, any steps towards replicating the SNP’s ban on multi-buy alcoholic drink promotions to encompass sugary food would be likely to be resisted by super- markets and may face a legal challenge.

David Martin, Head of Policy and External Affairs at the Scottish Retail Consortium, said retailers were in the business of “reducing the cost and widening the choice” for consumers, with all prod- ucts able to be enjoyed as part of a healthy diet.

He added: “Supermarkets are, for example, heavily price promoting fresh fruit and vegetables, increasing the availability of freshly cut and ready to eat fruit snacks and through front of pack label- ling empowering customers with the requisite information to make the right choices.

“Retailers are also reformulating their products, having removed thousands of tonnes of sugar and billions of calories from their food and drink products.”