Asda removes cartoon characters from its own brand sweets
Asda removes cartoon characters from its own brand sweets, ice cream and flavoured milk in bid to combat childhood obesity
- Asda will alter packaging on 14 of its confectionery items and 4 flavoured milks
- Nine of its ice-creams and ice-lollies will also be altered to remove cartoons
- Asda removed characters from 12 of its own-brand cereals in February last year
- Asda hopes move will stop children pestering their parents while shopping
- One in three children aged 10 to 11 are overweight or obese, according to figures
Asda will remove all animated figures from its own-brand sweets, ice creams and flavoured milks to make them less appealing to sugar-hungry children.
The supermarket will alter the packaging on 14 of its confectionery items, four of its flavoured milks and nine of its ice-creams and ice-lollies.
It comes after Asda removed cartoons from 12 of its own-brand cereals in February last year.
The store hopes the latest move will stop children pestering their parents to buy unhealthy products while browsing the aisles – which will in turn help tackle the UK’s soaring childhood obesity rates.
One in three children aged 10 to 11 are overweight or obese, according to Government data, while two-thirds of adults are above a healthy weight.
Asda will remove all animated figures from its own-brand sweets, ice creams and flavoured milks in a bid to make them less appealing to sugar-craving children. Pictured: Asda’s own-brand dolly mixtures. It is unclear which items will have new packaging
The supermarket will alter the packaging on 14 of its confectionery items, four of its flavoured milks and nine of its ice-creams and ice-lollies. Pictured: Two of Asda’s own-brand lollies. It is unclear which items will have new packaging
Shops will be encouraged to promote healthier choices and offer more discounts on healthy food such as fruit and vegetables. Pictured: One of Asda’s own-brand lollies. It is unclear which items will have new packaging
The Government launched their ‘better health strategy’ last year, in a bid to help people ‘bring their weight down’ and protect the NHS.
Store checkouts will no longer display confectionery items, and adverts for foods high in fat, sugar and salt are banned on TV before 9pm.
Deals such as ‘buy one get one free’ on unhealthy foods will also be banned under the plan, which will begin April 2022.
Placing sugary and fatty items in prominent locations will be stopped, including at entrances and online.
Instead, shops will be encouraged to promote healthier choices and offer more discounts on healthy food such as fruit and vegetables.
Asda has slashed the sugar content in some of its most-popular items.
The store hopes the latest move will stop children pestering their parents to buy unhealthy products while browsing the aisles – which will in turn help tackle the UK’s soaring childhood obesity rates. Pictured: Some of Asda’s own-brand sweets. It is unclear which items will have new packaging
One in three children aged 10 to 11 are overweight or obese, according to Government data, while two-thirds of adults are above a healthy weight. Pictured: Some of Asda’s own-brand sweets. It is unclear which items will have new packaging
It comes after Asda removed cartoons from 12 of its own-brand cereals in February last year. Pictured: The cereals before the packaging change
Ice cream lines will see a 16 per cent reduction in sugar content, while breakfast cereals have been cut by 15 per cent and favoured milks by 11 per cent.
It is unclear which items will have new packaging.
Asda nutritionist Beth Fowler told Talking Retail: ‘Following the removal of cartoon characters and reducing sugar content of our own-brand cereals early 2020, we have taken the decision to extend the initiative across additional own-label lines such as ice-creams, lollies, confectionery and flavoured milk drinks.
‘Being one of the UK’s largest supermarkets, we recognise our responsibility to help our customers to make better choices for themselves and their families. We see the removal of characters from specific product categories as another step on our journey towards making healthier choices easier.’