Health experts have warned that Chancellor Rachel Reeves' plan to reduce the price of biscuits, chocolate and other snacks as part of cost-of-living support could lead to overconsumption of unhealthy foods, exacerbating the UK's obesity crisis. Reeves announced she would slash import tariffs on basket staples including baked beans, crisps, margarine, biscuits, chocolate and tomato ketchup, a move she claimed could save consumers a combined £150 million per year.
The Treasury said the full list, due next week, is based on frequently bought household items and includes some fruits, nuts and juices such as oranges, peaches and melons. The chancellor told the Commons she expects supermarkets to pass savings “in full” to customers and will “not tolerate any company exploiting the current situation”. However, doctors and nutritionists have criticised the decision to focus on ultra-processed foods.
Nutritionist Rob Hobson said making snack foods cheaper would “increase accessibility and normalise greater consumption of foods people already over consume”. He told The Independent he would prefer support for foods like fruit, vegetables and pulses “consistently linked with better long-term health outcomes”. Dietitian Duane Mellor warned of “unintended consequences” and called for use of VAT to incentivise healthier options.
Kim Pearson, a specialist in weight loss, said the “midst of a chronic health and obesity crisis” was not the time to cut prices of ultra-processed foods linked to type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Professor Alexander Miras of Ulster University said he was “disappointed” that chocolate and biscuits could be reduced while healthy food remains expensive. Professor Naveed Sattar of the University of Glasgow suggested a dual approach: making healthier foods cheaper and less healthy options more costly.
About a quarter of UK adults live with obesity, and diets high in ultra-processed foods increase risk of conditions such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease, according to the NHS. The experts urged the government to instead focus on making whole foods more affordable to support public health.
