Celebrating success in public health – restricting the promotion of high fat, salt and sugar foods

By Alana McDonald, Senior Public Health Nutritionist, Food Standards Scotland (FSS)

Following the recent announcement by the Scottish Government that the long awaited Public Health (Restriction of Promotions) Bill will no longer be introduced, there has been some confusion as to what this means for promotions policy in Scotland.

However, what has been missed within many media reports is that plans to restrict the promotion of food and drink high in fat, sugar or salt (HFSS foods) are still very much going ahead. The Scottish Government confirmed that it remains fully committed to legislating to restrict HFSS promotions  and will now proceed directly to consult on the detail of proposed regulations and plans for implementation this autumn. This means that regulations will be laid sooner than would have otherwise been possible, subject to the outcomes of the consultation. FSS welcomes this more direct and efficient  route to deliver the policy given the pressing need for robust action to help stem the tide of HFSS foods.

Improving our population’s health by ensuring everyone can access healthier food and drink options food has never been more important. What surrounds us, shapes us and the food environment is a key factor which influences the daily food choices we make. Promotions can encourage us to buy more than we need, or to buy things we weren’t intending to in the first place. When it comes to food, the “extra” amount that we purchase as a result of promotions can be as much as 18%.

FSS evidence shows that we buy a considerable amount of our groceries on price promotions, such as multi-buys and price reductions (23% in 2021). They also feature when we buy food away from home, for example from restaurants, cafes and takeaways. It’s not just price promotions that influence our decision to buy – where an item is placed within a store, such as the entrance, check outs and end of aisles, also encourages us to put more in our baskets.

We know that many HFSS foods are often bought on price promotion, including ‘discretionary' items such as cakes, biscuits, pastries, savoury snacks, sugary drinks and alcoholic drinks. Discretionary foods and drinks are not really needed in our diets, but they typically make up around a fifth of all the calories we eat.

Early reports suggest that initial placement restrictions in England are having a positive impact on reducing purchases of HFSS products, and are encouraging consumers to shift towards healthier options. This is extremely promising and provides further momentum for progress in this area to be made in Scotland.

FSS first recommended that promotions on HFSS food and drinks be restricted in 2016, and consultation on this was subsequently included within the Scottish Government’s 2018 Diet and Healthy Weight Delivery Plan. Work on legislation (like many others) was interrupted during the COVID pandemic – a time where many aspects of our lives changed and food businesses were also subject to many restrictions. The ongoing cost of living crisis is also exacerbating many challenges faced by people and businesses in Scotland.  As a result, it has been vital to consider the impact these issues have on consumers and businesses.

The latest announcement that Scottish Government will now move directly to consult on the detail of the proposed regulations in the autumn this year demonstrates the Scottish Government’s commitment to delivering this important policy which will support improvements in public health and that is very welcome.