Tesco sticks to plan to avoid high-sugar promotions despite UK govt rule delay

Reuters
Updated ·1 min read
FILE PHOTO: A general view of Tesco

LONDON (Reuters) - Tesco, Britain's biggest supermarket, said on Thursday it would continue to keep multi-buy deals on food and drinks which are high in fat, salt, or sugar (HFSS) off its shelves, despite a government delay to rules banning such promotions.

The British government said on Saturday that rules banning multi-buy deals on HFSS foods and drinks, including buy one get one free deals, will be delayed until October 2025, because families were already struggling with high food bills.

The delay angered healthy food campaigners who said the deals encourage shoppers to eat more junk food.

Tesco said although the government was pushing back the ban, it would stick with its voluntary commitment not to offer multibuy HFSS because of its strategy to help customers eat more healthily.

By keeping product prices low across its ranges, the supermarket said customers would not lose out from the absence of multi-buy deals on HFSS products.

(Reporting by Sarah Young, Editing by Kylie MacLellan)