Tesco and Sainsbury’s have will push ahead with not selling HFSS (high in fat, salt and sugar) products through multi-buys, despite the government’s delay in introducing a ban on such tactics.
Following the the government’s annoucement that HFSS multibuy are to be delayed until 2025, the two largest UK retailers confirmed that they will keep volume-led promotions on such products off their shelves.
Tesco said it formed part of its wider commitment to support customers to lead healthier and more sustainable lives and achieve its goal to boost sales of healthy products to 65% by 2025.
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Tesco group chief product officer, Ashwin Prasad said: “Tesco will continue to offer great value on products across the entire store, so customers won’t have to purchase more food than they need to access great value.”
He added: “Our mission is to make Tesco the easiest place to shop for a healthy, more sustainable basket – while keeping the cost of the weekly shop in check.
“We know that customers want to eat a more healthy, sustainable diet, but without having to stretch the weekly shopping budget and we are really proud to be leading the way in maintaining our commitment.”
Diabetes UK,chief executive Chris Askew OBE said: “We hope that, until these regulations come into force, more retailers will follow Tesco’s example in making their customers’ health a priority.”
A Sainsbury’s spokesman told The Grocer it would continue to ban mutibuys, having become the first supermarket to voluntarily stop them in 2016.
