British supermarkets guilty of promoting unhealthy foods

Sep 1 2008

British supermarkets have been accused of promoting 'fatty' and unhealthy foods in order to attract customers during the credit squeeze.

According to the National Consumer Council (NCC) many major food chains are guilty of promoting double the level of unhealthy foods since 2006.

The NCC looked at eight major supermarket chains in March this year and says over half of all promotions were for unhealthy foods and the increase showed how far supermarkets would go to attract customers when times are tight.

The aim of the snapshot survey by the NCC was to assess how much major stores such as Asda, Marks and Spencer, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Waitrose, were doing to help their customers eat healthily.

Each store was rated on promotions, the salt content of own-brand foods, nutrition labelling, the prevalence of sweets at check-outs and the healthy eating information and advice available.

The NCC says the results were disappointing as the number of promotions, such as two-for-one deals, had risen to 4,300, up 17% since the NCC's 2006 report, but only 12% were for fruit and vegetables, far below the 33% recommended.

The report also says health advice suggests just 7% of a person's diet should be made up of unhealthy foods, compared to the 54% found and all supermarkets still have a long way to go to help customers choose and enjoy a healthier diet.

Top of the survey were Sainsbury's which was commended for its progress on labelling and nutrition and giving customer information.

The NCC report says the volume of 'in-house' promotions for fatty and sugary foods the supermarkets are all offering is staggering and sadly disappointing in view of the effect their collective behaviour can have on the nation's eating habits.

The report says all supermarkets had made good progress on reducing the salt content of their own foods and some such as the Co-op, Tesco and Waitrose were praised for not having sweets at the check-out.

The British Retail Consortium has called the report ill-informed and unrepresentative while others claim it is inaccurate and not a useful guide to consumers.