Marks &Spencer has announced plans to include alcohol in its food sales reporting, marking the first major retailer to do so.

The move builds on the supermarket’s commitment to transparency in its reporting, said the business, recently achieving its healthy food target of 70% of sales.

The Government has proposals to introduce mandatory reporting for retailers by 2029 which shows the amount of healthy and non-healthy food sales, however, the current models do not include alcohol.

Alex Freudmann, managing director of M&S Food said: “We are voluntarily including alcohol in our Healthy Food Sales target because it’s the right thing to do. We support the Government’s proposal for mandatory reporting of food sales, encouraging retailers to make healthy choices easier for customers.

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“However, reporting models do not currently include alcohol, which, as research shows, can contribute to empty calories, having a potential impact on health. We encourage other retailers and the Government to include alcohol in food sales reporting to offer full transparency on healthy and non-healthy food choices.”

The decision aims to improve health amongst customers by reporting on alcohol intake, with research revealing that three-quarters of M&S shoppers think health is the most important when they plan to reduce drinking.

According to research, the NHS has stated that overconsumption of alcohol is a cause of obesity, and Nesta reported that drinking contributes to a significant share of “empty” calories.