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Sugar Marks and Spencer

M&S scraps Percy Pigs from till lanes following scathing sugar report

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By Jennifer Faull, Deputy Editor

July 17, 2015 | 2 min read

M&S has followed supermarket rivals and announced it will stop selling sweets at tills from September.

The decision to axe bags of gummy sweets, like its popular Percy Pigs, as well as chocolates and other sugar-laden goods comes following a scathing report from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN).

The body suggested that the current recommended intake of sugar is not adequate and called for it to be slashed by 50 per cent if the government wants to get a handle on the growing rate of obesity and diabetes.

M&S has already trials ‘healthy lanes’, which proved successful, and subsequently said within the next three months sweets will no longer be found at checkouts across its 580 stores. These foods will be moved to other areas of its stores.

Morrisons, Tesco, Lidl, Aldi and Sainsbury’s have also committed to removing sweets from pay points.

Tesco made the move after internal research found that 65 per cent of shoppers wanted sweets and chocolates removed to help them make healthier choices for their children.

Asda remains among the only major grocer to resist calls from campaigners to combat the nation’s sweet tooth, insisting it’s offering its customers “choice”.

Sugar Marks and Spencer

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