The British Retail Consortium has reacted angrily to government proposals to regulate how UK retailers display “less healthy foods”, dismissing the suggestion as “ludicrous”.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more


In a report issued yesterday (6 April), Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives: one year on, the Department of Health said that while retailers are promoting “healthier” foods, more could be done.


The department called for the establishment of a food marketing code that would prevent retailers displaying unhealthy foods at or below children’s eye level.


“Let’s be clear here – retailers have done a lot to promote healthier foods and the report recognises that. Consumption patterns are changing and this has been achieved without regulation,” a spokesperson for the BRC told just-food.


“Rules about which products should go on which shelves would be seriously misguided. It’s very hard to see how this could work in practice. How high is child’s eye-line anyway? It’s parents who buy children’s food. The idea that making particular foods hard to reach would make any difference is ludicrous,” BRC food director Andrew Opie added.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact