Liz Truss has said she will scrap plans to restrict the buying and advertising of junk food if she becomes prime minister.
The Conservative Party leadership frontrunner said plans to limit multi-buy deals on unhealthy food and drink and introducing new taxes would be thrown out for good after delays due to the cost-of-living crisis.
“Those taxes are over,” she told the Daily Mail. “Talking about whether or not somebody should buy a two-for-one offer? No. There is definitely enough of that.”
She added Brits would prefer the government to focus on non-food related other issues.
“What people want the government to be doing is delivering good roads, good rail services, making sure there’s broadband, making sure there’s mobile phone coverage, cutting the NHS waiting lists, helping people get a GP appointment,” she said.
“They don’t want the government telling them what to eat.”
The ban on deals such as buy-one-get-one-free offers or unlimited refills for soft drinks had been due to begin in October but had been put on hold amid surging food prices and the cost of living crisis.
Public health minister, Maggie Throup, said: “Pausing restrictions on deals like buy one get one free will allow us to understand its impact on consumers in light of an unprecedented global economic situation.”
Other rules such as banning adverts for foods high in salt, fat and sugar on television before 9pm and paid-for online adverts were also delayed and will not come into force until January 2024.
Displaying calories on large restaurant, cafes and takeaway menus, however, were introduced in April and rules limiting the location of unhealthy foods in stores are currently set to go ahead as planned from October.
The delay in some rulings have been criticised by anti-obesity campaigners.
Professor Rachel Batterham from Britain’s Royal College of Physicians said: “This is incredibly disappointing and short-sighted, especially in light of the recent World Health Organisation report showing that only in the United States is the level of obesity higher than in Europe.”
A ban on junk food advertising on Transport for London (TfL) networks has prevented almost 100,000 obesity cases, new study published on Tuesday found..
Polls suggest Ms Truss is on course to beat Rishi Sunak to leader of the Conservative Party.
Her campaign was boosted further this week by the endorsements of defeated leadership hopefuls Penny Mordaunt Nadhim Zahawi.
