New research highlights why we need policy action to restrict promotions of discretionary food and drink products in Scotland

The research found that adults on average consumed 61g of discretionary foods, and an additional 77g of soft drinks with added sugar every day. These contribute 260 kcal per day to the diets of adults age 16 and over in Scotland, which equates to 15% of total energy intake. By specific nutrients, this contributes 17% of total fat, 18% of statured fat, and 38% of free sugar intake – this is more than a third of daily free sugar intake just from these products.

When broken down by product type, sweet biscuits were the biggest contributor to calories, fat and free sugar intake, contributing to 10% of the intake of free sugars. This is closely followed by cakes, sweet pastries and puddings. Soft-drinks containing sugar on their own contribute 9% to free sugar intake.

Consumption patterns vary across different population age groups and levels of socioeconomic deprivation. The data shows that adults aged 75+ consumed the most discretionary foods, including the highest intake of sweet biscuits, cakes, sweet pastries and puddings, and ice cream and ice lollies. In total, these discretionary foods contribute 35% to daily free sugar intake for this age group. At the other end of the age spectrum, consumption of soft drinks containing sugar was highest in those aged 16-34, with an average intake of 144 grams of free sugar per day from added sugar soft drinks (138 grams per day 16-24; 150 grams per day 25-34), equivalent to 16% of daily free sugar intake.

The data shows high levels of consumption of discretionary foods across all socioeconomic groups, with the highest level of consumption in the least deprived. However, intake of soft drinks containing sugar was significantly greater in more deprived populations. In the most deprived populations, soft-drinks containing sugar accounted for 14% of daily free sugar intake, compared to only 6% in the least deprived communities.

As well as discretionary foods and soft drinks containing sugar, the analysis also looked at additional foods. These are foods which are being considered for inclusion in the scope of restrictions of promotions of unhealthy food, and featured in the consultation held by the Scottish Government in July 2022. This includes products such as pizza, ready meals, processed potato products (including roast potatoes and chips), breakfast cereals, and sweetened yoghurts and fromage frais.

Of the additional food examined, breakfast cereals contributed the most energy, total fat and free sugar intake. Pizza, yoghurts and fromage frais were the highest contributors to saturated fat intake. Intake of these additional products was highest among younger adults aged 16 to 24. This age group consumed the greatest quantity of processed potato products and ready meals. Consumption of these additional foods was fairly consistent across all socioeconomic groups.

Overall, the research highlights that discretionary foods, soft drinks with added sugar, and additional foods make up a significant proportion of daily diets in Scotland. In total they contribute – 28% of calorie intake, 18% of total fat and saturated fat intake, and just under half (49%) of free sugar intake.

The data presented is based on self-reported data gathered through the Intake24 survey, as part of the Scottish Health Survey, and the data used in the research is a 2-day extract from this survey. The research itself acknowledges this as a limitation. Self-reported dietary data is known to underreport true levels of consumption, and the 2-day data period used may also not fully account for all consumption, as some items may not be consumed on a daily basis. Therefore, the levels of consumption outlined within the research are likely to be an underestimation of the true levels of consumption of these products and their contribution to diets in Scotland, which is anticipated to be even higher.

The research provides important continuing insight into dietary patterns in Scotland. It highlights that diets in Scotland continue to be too high in calories, saturated fat, and free sugars, and provides further evidence on the need for policies which limit access to and availability of HFSS products. To address the high levels of consumption of these products, we need actions which improve the food environment to make healthier options the cheapest and most easily accessible. Policies which restrict promotions and advertising of HFSS products, and deliver improvements to the out of home food environment are crucial to that change. We need the Scottish Government to take urgent and bold policy action to deliver these policies which are fundamentally important to improve our food environment.

Lorraine Tulloch, Obesity Action Scotland Programme Lead noted:

“For many years now we have been talking about the poor diet of the Scottish population. This report demonstrates it hasn’t changed. We have created a food environment that drives us to purchase and consume foods that are low in nutritional value and high in sugar, calories and fat. 

We must change that food environment and ensure every person in Scotland has easy access to affordable healthy food. Only then will we start to see diets change. We all deserve to live a healthy, resilient life and an improved food environment could play a major role.”

*In the research discretionary foods are defined as “Items of food and drink which are high in calories and/or fats, sugar or salt, low in nutritional value, which aren’t required for our health. The discretionary food and drink categories presented in this report are: sweet biscuits, cakes, pastries and puddings, crisps and savoury snacks, confectionery, ice cream and ice lollies and sugar-containing soft drinks”