Restricting multi-buy price promotions on high fat, sugar or salt discretionary foods: analysis summary - briefing

1. Introduction

This paper presents results of an analysis by SRUC and the University of Aberdeen on the impact of restricting multi-buy promotions of high fat, sugar or salt (HFSS) discretionary food and drink (HFSS discretionary foods).

"Multi-buys" are defined here as (a) two or more separate products sold together to obtain a discount or (b) one or more products given free as a result of a purchase^[1].

This paper is a companion to the SRUC's Economic modelling: Reducing health harms of foods high in fat sugar or salt^[2] report (SRUC and University of Aberdeen report, SRUC-UoA report, hereafter) which examined the impact of a policy that restricted all price promotions of discretionary foods, not just multi-buy promotions.

The SRUC-UoA report Defines Discretionary food categories as the following: take home confectionery, biscuits, take home savouries, cakes, pastries and higher fats and sugar morning goods, total puddings and desserts, take home drinks and edible ices and ice cream

The results presented in this note are extracted from the supporting data and analysis which accompanied the SRUC-UoA report.

This briefing and the SRUC report contribute to informing the development of potential policy proposals to restrict promotions of HFSS foods.