A Californian county has moved to put an end to junk food at the checkout lane in major supermarkets.
Contra Costa County supervisors have voted to require grocery stores to stock only healthy food and drinks in the checkout areas.
Major retailers could be set to ban junk food at cash registers in Contra Costa County[/caption]
Trader Joe’s would be one of the retailers impacted by the ban[/caption]
Retailers would face penalties for not complying[/caption]
In a unanimous vote on Tuesday, the decision would effectively ban junk food – including chips, candy and soda – from being placed near registers.
The new regulations for impulse purchase zones would come into effect in November and apply to at least 42 retail food stores in unincorporated areas across the county.
The ruling will not apply to incorporated cities, including Concord, Antioch and Richmond.
Unincorporated areas are communities or neighbourhoods not governed by a separate municipal government, like a city or a town.
The decision still has to pass through another round of voting by the county’s board of supervisors.
The second vote is set to occur on October 7.
If passed, Contra Costa County will be the first county in the US to enforce a junk food ban, following the lead of the city of Berkeley – the first city to implement the ban in 2021.
The order will require checkout products at large grocery stores and other large retailers to contain no more than five grams of added sugar and 200mg of sodium per serving.
The rule will see soda and candy replaced with healthier options, including nuts, fruit, vegetables and unsweetened drinks near the checkout lanes.
Food items that are high in sugar and salt will still be available for purchase in other parts of stores.
Associate director of the Bay Area Community Resources Ali Wohlgemuth said the board wanted to “make the healthy choice the easy choice”.
Retailers would be given a 12-month grace period to make the change.
After the period is over, stores would face penalties of hundreds of dollars for failing to comply.
The requirement also would not apply to large retail stores where a very small square footage of the store sells food.
“Healthy checkout” policies would give shoppers healthier options and promote healthier snacking habits, as poor nutrition continues to be one of the leading causes of preventable illnesses.
Opponents to the decision say the ban could harm smaller gas stations and convenience stores that rely on impulse purchases for revenue.
Walmart would be a retailer forced to implement the changes[/caption]
Junk food would still be available elsewhere in the stores[/caption]
According to state data, in Contra Costa County up to 29 per cent of adolescents are overweight or obese and 61 per cent of adults are overweight or obese.
The data also shows that 11 per cent of adults in the county have a diabetes diagnosis.
In the year after the ban came into effect in Berkeley city, a study found that the level of sugar, sodium and saturated fat in checkout products fell by 70 per cent, 53 per cent and 41 per cent per serving, and they also found a 47 per cent increase in fibre in products.
