Supermarket meal deals could be one of several foods banned under new government proposals to tackle obesity. A Welsh Government consultation document exploring how to make the "food environment in Wales healthier" was published in June 2022 with several proposals on how to promote healthy eating.
Some things considered in the original consultation are the banning of "meal deal" offers where products are cheaper if purchased together, multi-buy offers as well as reducing the prices of certain foods. The consultation came to an end in September 2022 but no plans have yet been put in place.
Similar plans have also been put forward in England but nothing has yet been implemented. Now the Welsh Retail Consortium has written to ministers to to say that the plans would have a "disproportionate" impact on food producers, reduce choice and increase food prices.
Sara Jones, head of the consortium, told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast that members could support some of the proposals but thought others were a step too far. "We do understand the real importance of the government trying to tackle obesity and support public health," she said.
"People like myself, a busy mum of two, I am looking for a quick lunch option. I'm not going to over-consume because of those purchasing decisions and by banning those it will just lead to restrictions in terms of availability and affordability in terms of the consumer," she added.
She also said that such proposals could see price rises at a time when the cost of living is already biting. "With inflation running at an 18-year high it would be regressive and irresponsible to put up costs in this manner with no evidence at this time that it would significantly improve public health."
James Lowman, chief executive of the Association of Convenience Stores, told the BBC that the proposed rules were "unnecessarily inconsistent" with those already agreed in England. He said this would put "additional pressure on retailers to start from scratch on store layouts at the cost of thousands of pounds".
A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “We are considering the next steps on price promotions and locations and no final position has been made following the pubic consultation. We are not proposing to ban meal deals themselves but to consider whether there should be restrictions on high fat, salt and sugar products, that may be part of a meal deal.”
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