Consultation outcome

Restricting promotions of food and drink that is high in fat, sugar and salt

This consultation has concluded

Download the full outcome

Final impact assessment: restricting location promotions of HFSS products

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Final impact assessment: restricting volume promotions of HFSS products

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Detail of outcome

The government has published its response to feedback received through this consultation.

As part of the response, we’ve opened another consultation, which seeks views from businesses and enforcement bodies about the enforcement of restrictions on HFSS product promotions.


Original consultation

Summary

The government is seeking views on its plans to restrict promotions of food and drink products high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) by location and by price.

This consultation ran from
to

Consultation description

This consultation asks what you think about:

  • restricting volume-based price promotions of HFSS food and drink that encourage people to buy more than they need, for example ‘buy one, get one free’ and free refills of sugary soft drinks

  • restricting the placement of HFSS food and drink at main selling locations in stores, such as checkouts, aisle ends and store entrances

This consultation also seeks your views on:

  • which businesses, products and types of promotion should be included in the restrictions
  • definitions for HFSS products, price promotions and locations in stores
  • how businesses can put this into practice and whether they will face any difficulties

The proposed plans were set out in Childhood obesity: a plan for action, chapter 2.

Our aim is to reduce excessive eating and drinking of HFSS products that can lead to children becoming overweight and obese. We also want businesses to promote healthier food and drink to help people make healthier choices.

Nearly 1 in 4 children in England are obese or overweight by the time they start primary school, and this rises to 1 in 3 by the time they leave primary school.

Obese children are more likely to become obese adults, and obesity in adulthood increases an individual’s risk of developing:

  • type 2 diabetes
  • heart disease
  • fatty liver disease
  • a number of cancers

An equality assessment was carried out ahead of this consultation and the government has also published the methodology of the DHSC calorie model.

We have also published ‘Childhood obesity plan: interactions between modelled policies’, setting out how the policies in chapters 1 and 2 of the government’s childhood obesity plan could work together.

Documents

Restricting volume promotions for HFSS products: impact assessment

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If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email publications@dhsc.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Restricting checkout, end of aisle and store entrance sales of HFSS products: impact assessment

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If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email publications@dhsc.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.
Published 12 January 2019
Last updated 19 July 2021 + show all updates
  1. Updated 'Final impact assessment: restricting location promotions of HFSS products' and 'Final impact assessment: restricting volume promotions of HFSS products' with new front page containing Jo Churchill's (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Prevention, Public Health and Primary Care) signature.

  2. Added the government response to the consultation and 2 impact assessments.

  3. First published.