The Welsh Government has announced plans for a new law to ban certain foods from meal deals in a bid to tackle obesity. The new legislation is set to be introduced in the Senedd next year and is expected to become law in 2025.
The legislation will also prevent certain foods from being placed in certain parts of a supermarket, like at the end of aisles, near checkouts and in aisle bins. Part of the plans, which include preventing 3 for 2 and buy-one-get-one-free (BOGOF) deals on some foods, will align with plans in England, however Wales will take things further in relation to meal deals and preventing temporary price reductions in certain foods.
Over 60% of adults in Wales are above a healthy weight and over a quarter of children are overweight or obese by the time they start school. The hope is that by preventing and reducing obesity it will help reduce the levels of type 2 diabetes, various types of cancer and other conditions such as cardiovascular (heart) disease in Wales.
Read more: I tried Michael Mosley's Fast 800 diet for a week and couldn't believe the results
While no decisions have been made on what foods will not be allowed to be included in a meal deal, it is inevitable that some foods will be outright banned from being part of the meal deal price promotion due to its nutritional make up. In a statement from the Welsh Government, it said meal deals would not be banned outright but the "unhealthiest products" will be restricted from meal deals.
The Welsh Government intends to work with retailers' perspectives on this. Research suggests that eating a meal deal every day could result in a 6lb to three stone weight increase in a year. It is hoped that by banning high sugar, high fat and high salt foods from this meal combination, food production will aim to reduce these levels in foods.
Research shows that promotions are used more on foods like sugary drinks and snacks over healthy foods like fruits, milk and eggs. This has a direct impact on our weekly shop, with "unintended purchases" mostly being sugary or high fat snack. For more health stories like this straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.
Whilst the legislation will not apply to all high fat, sugar and salt products, it will target food and drinks that contribute most to obesity. The Welsh Government hopes these measures will encourage the food and retail industry to consider how healthier options can be made more available and affordable, so that no-one is priced out of a healthy diet.
The new legislation will only apply to businesses with more than 50 members of staff so it will not impact on smaller, local corner stores. It will also apply to online retailers. It is understood the Welsh Government intend on working closely with the industry to outline how the legislation will work in practice over the next year, with the hope the plans will be implemented in 2025.
This new legislation is focusing on the retail market, while work is still being done in relation to the consumption of food outside of the home like at restaurants. England has brought in legislation which means calories must be shown on menus in restaurants - at this stage work is still being done in Wales to see what impact this has on people with eating disorders. What do you think of these plans? Let us know in the comments below.
In the years between 2009/2010 and 2020/21, there was around a 40% increase in the number of people with type 2 diabetes in Wales. The UK currently has the highest levels of consuming ultra-processed foods when compared with other European countries. Research indicates there is a strong relationship between the consumption of ultra-processed foods and obesity.
The four areas where the new legislation will apply are as follows:
- Location restriction - banning certain foods from being placed near checkouts, on the end of aisles and on aisle bins
- Volume pricing (banning multibuys like 3 for 2 and BOGOF deals on certain products)
- Meal deals - meal deals will not be banned as a whole, but certain foods will no longer be part of the promotion
- Temporary price reductions - certain foods will not be allowed to be reduced as part of a temporary promotion. This will not apply to foods that are reduced as they are 48 hours within a use by date
Earlier this week, Public Health Wales published research that showed there was strong support for government intervention in relation to "meal deal culture" and placing taxes on high sugar food. You can read more of that report here.
Deputy minister for mental health and wellbeing Lynne Neagle said: “This legislation will take forward our commitment to improve diets and help prevent obesity in Wales. Whilst similar legislation is also being introduced in England, I am minded to include temporary price reductions and meal deals within our restrictions. We will not be banning any product or type of promotion, our aim is to rebalance our food environments towards healthier products, so that the healthy choice becomes the easy choice.
“This is an important part of the jigsaw as part of our Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales strategy as part of a multi-component approach. Our next generation deserve a different ‘normal’ where healthier foods are more available, affordable and appealing, and high fat, sugar and salt foods are not a core part of our diet. Our current and future generations deserve better.”
The legislation has received huge support from the Obesity Alliance Cymru. Gemma Roberts, Co-Chair of Obesity Alliance Cymru: "There is an obesity crisis in Wales, and we are pleased to see the Welsh Government proposing legislation which will support the people of Wales to make healthy choices. Price promotions are marketing techniques used to drive sales and increase consumption. They are not free gifts and they do not save us money. We are in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, and consumers are being bombarded with price promotions which increase spending on the unhealthiest products. Wales needs to shift the balance and support families to make buying fruit and veg easier”.
Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Mental Health, James Evans MS said: “Obesity is a pressing issue across the Western world that is a costly drain on the limited resources of our precious Welsh NHS and it is a shame that is has taken the Welsh Government this long to address the problem.
"However, during the cost of living pressures we are all facing, we need cast iron assurances from the Welsh Labour Government that they do not intend to ban meal deals and that any new regulations will not increase the average weekly cost for shoppers.
“To address obesity, we need a whole Government approach to tackle the issue, with educating children about food, teaching physical education and funding for sports clubs at the heart of a cross-departmental strategy.
“The Welsh Conservatives believe the role of government is to educate, advise and to encourage better eating behaviours. It is very disappointing that due to Labour mismanagement drastic steps now need to be taken to reduce obesity in Wales.”
