Welsh supermarkets to be banned from displaying junk food near tills
The Senedd has agreed to implement new rules on how and where foods high in fat, salt and sugar can be promoted in Welsh supermarkets from March 2026.
Welsh supermarkets will be banned from displaying junk foods near tills and store entrances from next year in a bid to tackle obesity.
In a narrow vote, the Welsh Parliament has agreed to introduce new rules on how and where foods high in fat, salt and sugar can be promoted and displayed in larger shops and online.
The rules will mean that unhealthy foods such as chocolates, breakfast pastries and pizzas will have to be removed from shop entrances and checkouts, while unlimited refills on sugary drinks will also be banned in restaurants.
The move, which will come into force in March 2026, is intended to limit impulse purchases and help tackle the growing problem of obesity in Wales.
It will apply to businesses with 50 or more employees, and anyone breaching the rules faces a fine.
Speaking in the Senedd on Tuesday, Health Secretary Jeremy Miles insisted that “obesity is one of the main risks to our health in Wales” and needed to be tackled.
He said: “The strategy for promotion used by the food industry has an influence on what we eat and ultimately contributes to high levels of obesity and poor health outcomes in our communities.”
The measures were criticised by opposition groups, with Plaid Cymru arguing they did not go far enough while the Welsh Conservatives said they were “too heavy-handed”.
A vote on the measures passed in the Senedd by 25 votes to 24.
In a statement after the vote, Mr Miles said the move “will have a significant impact on the health of our nation for years to come”.
“We want to make it easier for people to make healthier choices and we’ll achieve this by improving the food environment around them.
“If we ensure healthier food and drinks are more available, accessible and visible to people in shops and stores, it will support our efforts to reduce obesity rates and improve public health.”
Plaid Cymru’s health spokesperson, Mabon ap Gwynfor, argued “we need to see more being done” if Welsh Labour is serious about tackling the “huge pressures” obesity places on health services.
He said: “These regulations only offer a part of the solution that risks being unsuccessful without a whole range of policies required to truly get to grips with obesity.
“It’s stick, without the necessary carrot.”
James Evans MS, Welsh Conservative shadow cabinet secretary for health, described the plans as “nanny state nonsense that will hit the poorest people in their pockets”.
He said: “Keir Starmer promised to ease the cost of living and hasn’t, with Welsh Labour following suit here by pushing up costs for working people.
“Welsh Conservatives believe in personal responsibility. Efforts to tackle obesity must be focused on providing support for grassroots sports clubs, increase the amount of sport played in schools, and encouraging more people to get active – not forcibly pushing up the price of the weekly shop.”
