British supermarket chain Tesco, alongside its three health charity partners, has advocated for the introduction of compulsory reporting on healthy food sales for all supermarkets and food retailers in the country.
During a summit held by Tesco’s Health Charity Partnership, Tesco Group CEO Ken Murphy convened with counterparts from the charities: Cancer Research UK, the British Heart Foundation and Diabetes UK – to deliberate on strategies for promoting longevity and better health.
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The retailer believes that it is critical for the food sector to collaborate in supporting governmental efforts aimed at preventing illness. The current lack of uniformity in how companies report on the nutritional value of their food and beverage sales hampers the ability to gauge industry-wide advancements.
Given that obesity presents a significant financial burden to the healthcare system, estimated at £6.5bn ($8.7bn) annually, and impacts a vast number of individuals nationwide, there is a collective push from Tesco and its partner organisations for the government to enforce standardised reporting on nutritious food sales as a step towards enhancing public health.
Recognising their pivotal role within communities, food enterprises are considered key players in fostering access to healthier food options.
Tesco has expressed its dedication to leading this initiative by assisting customers in adopting healthier lifestyles while addressing challenges related to affordability, accessibility, time constraints, knowledge gaps or motivational factors involved in making nutritious choices.
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By GlobalDataGreater transparency through mandated reporting on healthful food sales could facilitate more informed policy-making and enable more precise public health measures.
Tesco reports progress towards ensuring that 65% of its sales are comprised of healthier items by the end of 2025. This goal is being pursued through measures such as voluntarily discontinuing multi-buy promotions on less nutritious products and reformulating its private label goods to contain lower levels of salt, fat and sugar.
Ken Murphy stated: “There are more people living with obesity in the UK than ever before. Tesco, along with the food industry, has a critical part to play in supporting preventive health measures, through giving access to affordable, healthier, quality food. Through our partnership with Diabetes UK, Cancer Research UK and the British Heart Foundation, we have shown that collaboration can drive meaningful change.
“But to truly support public health, we need consistent, transparent reporting across the industry. We urge the UK government to take this important step forward to make healthier food sales reporting mandatory.”
In May 2025, Tesco made executive changes to continue delivering market-leading performance.
