Healthy move at checkouts

REMOVING SWEETS and crisps from supermarket checkouts led to a dramatic reduction in purchases of the unhealthy products, new research has found.

Sales of the snacks at supermarkets with checkout policies were down by almost a fifth, according a study funded by the Department of Health and Social Care.

A reduction in purchases of unhealthy food eaten “on the go” was also revealed after shoppers made 76 per cent fewer purchases of sugary confectionery, chocolate and crisps. Six of the nine major supermarkets introduced checkout food policies between 2013 and 2017.