Public health officials welcome ban on unhealthy food offers and fizzy drink refills

Public health officials have welcomed the Welsh Government’s decision to ban offers on unhealthy food and drinks as part of efforts to tackle high rates of obesity.

This week the Senedd narrowly voted in favour of the new legislation, which will also see restrictions introduced on unlimited refills of fizzy drinks in the likes of Nando’s and Five Guys.

The controversial plans, which will be introduced in March 2026, saw Members of the Senedd vote 25-24 in favour of the restrictions.

It means that from next spring the sale of unhealthy foods at store entrances, checkouts and end of aisles will be no longer allowed.

There will also be restrictions on multi-buy offers of foods high in sugar and salt and meal deal promotions.

The rules, which largely mirror those in place in England, will apply to medium to large retailers with 50 or more employees.

According to the Welsh Government 83% of purchases made on promotion are impulse buys.

The regulations have been designed to prevent impulse purchases and over-consumption and will help to tackle the growing problem of obesity in Wales.

They have been welcomed by Public Health Wales (PHW), with Dr Julie Bishop, Director of Health Improvement at the organisation stating that the legalisation will help people to make healthier choices.

Dr Bishop said: “Public Health Wales welcomes this legislation. Our diet is rapidly becoming the leading cause of preventable poor health in Wales, which is affecting individuals and creating demand in our NHS.

“This is a complex problem driven by the many changes to the world around us over time, which means there are no simple solutions – this is only one part of the wide range of actions that will be needed to achieve change.

“Our environments shape the choices that we make, and asking people to take more personal responsibility or have more willpower is not the answer.

“There is significant research evidence to show that the way that food is presented and positioned in shops has an impact on the choices that we make and can make us spend more on things we don’t need.

“This legislation is about giving the customer more choice, it will help level the playing field between the consumer and the retailer.

“We know that people want to make healthier choices and this is one step to helping them to do that but there is much more work to do”