Supermarket Asda has revealed they’re making a huge change to five types of essential products.
While this isn’t the first big move they’ve made this year, after Asda became the first supermarket to offer the coronavirus vaccine, it’s the one that will impact shoppers most over the coming weeks.
After pressure from health campaigners, Asda has confirmed they are changing their packaging and banning cartoons from own-brand items in a bid to fight childhood obesity.
Campaigners say that they also want to make life easier for parents and childminders in the aisles, by stopping children from seeing the colourful pictures and pestering adults into buying sweet treats.
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The family-favourite supermarket, which operates over 600 stores around the country, has outlined the changes to their products in a statement.
As well as changes to 12 of its own brand cereal boxes, Asda have announced that other items will be different in stores soon.
The move will now also affect nine different own-brand ice-creams and ice-lollies, 14 types of own-brand confectionary lines and four different types of milk products.
Tam Fry, chairman of the National Obesity Forum, supported the move as they said, “There’s a lot of research that shows kids are taken with animals pictured on food wrapping and cartons and pester parents to buy the products but they don’t care what’s inside.“What Asda and Lidl have done is a step in the right direction but more could be done – others need to follow suit and I would also like to see more sugar removed from cereals.
“The overall cost of obesity and related illnesses is £24 billion a year but the Government is doing nothing about it.”
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While Asda nutritionist, Beth Fowler said, “We understand retailers play a crucial role in helping customers make more informed choices in the supermarket aisles, which is why we’ve taken the step to erase cartoon characters from our own brand cereals.
“We’ve launched a new ‘Live Better’ icon, signposting the healthiest options in Asda own brand ranges. It’s just one of the many initiatives Asda is rolling out in 2020 to help make a positive impact on our customers lives.”