FSS publish food and drink retail report

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) has published its latest report on food and drink retail purchase in Scotland between 2014 and 2018, providing an update and further insight into price promotions, purchase of regular soft drinks, and pack sizes of confectionery, crisps and savoury snacks.

In key findings from the report:

• Purchase of calories, total fat, saturated fat and sodium increased between 2014 and 2018, whilst purchase of total sugar decreased over this time period.
• Discretionary foods continue to contribute disproportionately to total purchase of calories, fats and sugars, showing little change since 2014.
• Purchase of regular soft drinks decreased, leading to a reduction in total sugar purchased from soft drinks. Despite this reduction, there was also a large increase in purchase of regular soft drinks exempt from the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL).
• In 2018, 32% of calories were purchased on price promotion, a decrease from 41% in 2014 and 2015. Purchase on promotions remains skewed towards less healthy and discretionary products, such as confectionery, cakes, biscuits, pastries and crisps.

Source: FSS, 20 August 2020