Health experts hit out at Reeves’ snack food price cuts: ‘We’re in an obesity crisis’

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Health experts have warned that Rachel Reeves’ plan to cut the price of biscuits and chocolate as part of cost-of-living help for struggling families could lead to the “overconsumption” of unhealthy foods.

The chancellor announced she would slash import tariffs on shopping basket staples, expected to include baked beans, marmalade, crisps, margarine, biscuits, chocolate and tomato ketchup, in a move which could save consumers a combined £150 million per year. The full list of products will be published next week.

The chancellor told the Commons she expects supermarkets to pass these savings “in full” to customers, and said she will “not tolerate any company exploiting the current situation”.

But doctors and health experts have said the government should look to increase the cost of unhealthy ultra processed foods, such crisps and chocolate, and instead make fruits and vegetables more affordable.

Nutritionist Rob Hobson said making snack foods cheaper will “increase accessibility and normalise greater consumption of foods people already over consume in the UK diet”.

Rachel Reeves is set to cut food costs in a fresh batch of measures aiming to ease the cost of living crisis and impact of the Iran war on the UK (AFP/Getty)

“From a public health nutrition perspective, I’d much rather see greater support for foods we know most people under consume, such as fruit, vegetables, pulses, wholegrain and other fibre-rich staples. These are the foods consistently linked with better long-term health outcomes but they are often perceived as expensive or less accessible,” he told the Independent.

Dietitian Duane Mellor said the government needed to be “careful” that the reduction of tariffs to reduce food prices didn’t have “unintended consequences”.

“Although it seems like a good idea to reduce the cost of food, it is important that policies to help manage food costs should improve health,” he said.

“This could be achieved by using existing tools such as VAT alongside price reductions to incentives healthier foods to make them cheaper to help support affordable healthy choices this could promote uptake of foods such as vegetables.”

About a quarter of adults in the UK are living with obesity and diets high in ultra-processed foods – which includes sugary and salty snack foods such as chocolate – have been linked to an increased risk of health conditions such, type 2 diabetes and heart disease, according to the NHS.

Staples such as biscuits, baked beans, marmalade, crisps, margarine, biscuits, chocolate and tomato ketchup could become cheaper (Getty/iStock)

Kim Pearson, a nutritionist that specialises in weight loss, said the “midst of a chronic health and obesity crisis” was not the time to cut the price of snack foods.

“We should definitely not be implementing policies that will likely further encourage the consumption of ultra processed foods,” she told the Independent.

She added: “Many of the products highlighted, including crisps, biscuits, chocolate and sugary condiments, are foods that we know are typically high in refined starches, sugar, unhealthy fats and additives, and excessive consumption of ultra processed foods is linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes and poorer overall health.

“I would much prefer to see greater support for making healthy whole foods more affordable and accessible.”

Professor Alexander Miras, clinical professor of medicine at Ulster University, said he was “disappointed” that chocolate and biscuits could be reduced while healthy food remains more expensive.

“The cost of healthy food is higher than that of unhealthy food and it is the former that should be lowered. I am sure the government is aware of what they need to do and hope that they do the right thing,” he told the Independent.

Naveed Sattar, professor of cardiometabolic medicine at the University of Glasgow, suggested the government should incentivise healthier foods.

The expert in diabetes, obesity, and heart disease told The Independent: “Improving health outcomes may require a dual approach: incentivising healthier, fibre‑rich foods (e.g. fruit and vegetables) while increasing the cost of less healthy options.

“Such measures could help nudge individuals towards better dietary patterns, particularly if healthier choices become more affordable.”

The Treasury has been approached for comment.