Scotland Bans Prominent Displays and Multi-Buy Deals on High Sugar, Fat and Salt Foods

Sugary soft drinks, many biscuits and some breakfast cereals have been removed from prominent positions in supermarkets across Scotland under new government regulations.

The Scottish Government has introduced rules that stop certain high‑fat, high‑sugar and high‑salt products from being placed in prime in‑store locations or being included in multi‑buy promotions, both in physical shops and online. The measures apply to businesses with more than 50 employees — a scope that includes supermarkets, high street shops, restaurants, pharmacies, petrol stations and garden centres.

What Is Restricted?

Retailers are no longer permitted to display pre‑packaged foods identified as high in sugar, fat or salt — for example, sugary soft drinks, confectionery, biscuits and breakfast cereals — in prominent spots such as store entrances, checkouts, aisle ends and designated queueing areas. The rules also ban multi‑buy price promotions and certain promotional add‑ons for these products.

Prohibited Promotions

• Multi‑buy offers that bundle items together (e.g. "three for two", "three for £10", "buy five and save 20%")
• Offers that award extra loyalty points for buying restricted items
• Deals that give away a high‑sugar, high‑fat or high‑salt product for free alongside another purchase (e.g. a free chocolate bar with a newspaper)

Simple price reductions such as "half‑price" or "save £1" remain allowed.

Online Restrictions

Online retailers face similar curbs: certain restricted foods cannot be advertised on homepages or given prominent placement on websites or apps.

Which Products Could Be Affected?

If a product contains enough sugar, fat or salt it may be covered by the rules. Examples include:

• Drinks with added sugar: lemonade, soda, flavoured milks, ready‑made coffee drinks, some kombucha varieties, energy drinks and hot chocolate
• Savoury snacks: crisps, tortilla chips, lentil crisps and some seaweed snacks
• Breakfast cereals, granola, muesli and sweetened oat‑based cereals
• Prepared savoury foods: pre‑made pizzas, chips, fish fingers and chicken nuggets
• Ready meals and filled pasta such as ravioli and tortellini
• Confectionery: chocolate, sweets, chewing gum and popcorn with added sugar
• Frozen and baked treats: ice cream, sorbets, sponge cakes, doughnuts and pastries
• Snack and cereal bars, biscuits, flapjacks and sweetened yoghurts

Meal deals and "dine for two" offers are exempt from the promotion ban. However, any restricted items included in those deals still cannot be displayed in the regulated prominent locations (for example, at store entrances or checkouts).

Public Health Minister Maree Todd said: "We know that promotions and prominent product placement can encourage over‑consumption and impulse buying of foods with high levels of calories, fat, sugar and salt. By restricting the promotion of less healthy food and drink we can make it easier for people to make healthier choices, improving health and wellbeing, and create a Scotland where everyone eats well and has a healthy weight."

The Scottish Government says the measures are intended to reduce impulse purchases and support healthier eating choices, noting that two in three Scottish adults are overweight or obese and that rates are highest in the most deprived areas.