GROWING pressure has resulted in a commitment from the UK’s biggest retailer to improve the health profile of its products.
Tesco’s move comes after researchers at Glasgow University found obesity had overtaken smoking as the major cause of death in both Scotland and England.
Obesity has also emerged as one of the biggest risk factors in severe cases of coronavirus, with clinically obese people three times more likely to be admitted to intensive care after contracting Covid-19.
However Food Standards Scotland has reported that since the lockdown last March, sales of food and drink have risen substantially, particularly those of crisps, alcohol and confectionery.
Tesco has now responded to a call from investors to boost its sales of healthy food and drink and cut its reliance on junk food to increase sales. Led by responsible investment NGO ShareAction, it has filed what is believed to be the first nutrition-based shareholder resolution at a FTSE 100 company.
It follows increasing concern about the impact the big retailers are having on public health.
If the resolution is passed at Tesco’s AGM in the summer it would force the retailer to work on a strategy to decrease significantly the ratio of junk food to healthy food sales by 2030. As well as having to make public a progress review every year from 2022, it would also have to reveal what proportion of its overall drink and food sales is made up of healthy products.
In response, the company said it would improve the health profile of its products by 2025 and increase the proportion of healthy product sales from the current 58% of the total to 65%.
Tesco said it would also change the make-up of its ready meals so that at least two thirds would contain at least one of the recommended five pieces of fruit and vegetables people should consume every day. It also aims to increase sales of plant-based meat alternatives by 300%.
Tesco chief executive Ken Murphy said customers had shown that they wanted to eat “a more healthy, sustainable diet, but without having to stretch the weekly shopping budget”.
“We’ve worked hard to help our customers eat healthily and we’re proud of our track record and it’s clear we can do more,” he said.
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