Lidl is set to remove all packaging designs deemed attractive to children from its least healthy own-label products, including bakery items, by mid-2025.
The discounter said the initiative helps reaffirm its commitment to responsible marketing and will see design elements such as 3D or animated shapes and brightly coloured patterns eliminated from packaging, along with playful product names that do not reflect the items themselves.
It also expressed that the measures go further than the new UK legislation to restrict the advertising of junk food to children from October this year. The government published new guidance on the restrictions last December, although the Advertising Standards Authority subsequently said that certain aspects will require revision.
Lidl was unable to disclose an exact list of lines subject to the packaging changes, explaining that categories were constantly under review. However, an image shared showed the before and after pack shots (exisiting and proposed) for Hazelnut Crème Croissants, part of its Rowan Hill Bakery range, which showed that a smiling cartoon dog had been removed from behind the croissant in the design.
Any newly developed products would have its packaging aligned to this commitment from the get-go, confirmed a company spokesperson, adding that fresh in-store bakery items would not be affected as they weren’t packaged.
The supermarket said it had lead competitors in numerous policies to help parents resist ‘pester power’ from kids. This included removing sweets and chocolates from checkouts nationwide in 2014, and removing cartoon characters from its breakfast cereals in 2020. Last spring, it expanded this policy to ban cartoon characters from all ‘less healthy’ products aimed at children.
Products are deemed as least healthy according to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Nutrient Profiling Model or the Food Standards Agency (FSA) 2004/05 Nutrient Profiling Model, Lidl noted.
“We know that households want to achieve healthier lifestyles and so we’re fully committed to helping families adopt better habits while still having access to high-quality, affordable, and enjoyable products,” commented Richard Bourns, chief commercial officer at Lidl GB. “As a father of young children myself, I know how influential packaging designs can be on their preferences, and therefore understand the importance of taking a proactive position to better support parents up and down the country.
“Introducing these changes ahead of the upcoming legislation on advertising, signals our readiness to meet and exceed these standards,” added Bourns. “Lidl has long been making changes for the better, so it’s great that we’re continuing our legacy of leading the way in supporting healthier lifestyles by removing unhelpful packaging and enhancing designs for products that contribute to better diets, like our Funsize fruit and veg range.”
Lidl’s announcement comes at a time when many families are setting new year goals for healthier living, it said, and also forms part of the discounter’s long-term ambition of aligning with the EAT Lancet Planetary Health Diet by 2050.
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