LIDL is to remove all packaging designs deemed attractive to children from its ‘least healthy’ own-brand products by mid-2025.
The change will eliminate design elements such as 3D or animated shapes, as well as brightly coloured patterns and playful product names that do not reflect the items themselves.
As an example, Lidl said its popular gummy bears will transition from bright, cartoon-adorned packaging to a simpler, more product-focused design that emphasises its fruit flavours.
This move builds on its 2020 packaging changes, when Lidl became the first UK supermarket to confirm the removal of cartoon characters from its breakfast cereals to help parents resist ‘pester power’.
Lidl’s strengthened commitment aims to ensure that any product 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, alongside any breakfast cereal, cannot be marketed in a way that appeals to children, with only the healthiest of products being targeted at them.
Richard Bourns, chief commercial officer at Lidl GB, said, “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. 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. 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 fun size fruit and veg range.”
Rebecca Tobi, senior business and investor engagement manager at the Food Foundation, added, “Despite the critical importance of good nutrition for children, commercial foods high in sugar and salt are often heavily marketed towards children, making it impossibly hard for families to navigate their way through the supermarket aisles without falling victim to pester power. Ahead of new government regulation coming in later this year, this is a very welcome and market leading move by Lidl GB to better support families to access healthier diets.”
