Supermarket executives are expressing concern over Labour’s proposed crackdown on sugar, suggesting it could lead to the removal of tomatoes and fruits from everyday items like pasta sauces and yogurt.

The government initiative aims to label numerous products containing sugar as ‘unhealthy,’ a move that industry leaders believe might push manufacturers towards using artificial sweeteners instead of natural ingredients.

Recently, health officials unveiled a series of measures aimed at reducing junk food consumption, which includes revamping the criteria used to classify foods as healthy or unhealthy.

Under the proposed system, ‘free sugars’—those released from fruits and vegetables during the pureeing process—would be categorized alongside salt and saturated fats. This classification has sparked debate among food industry leaders.

Critics argue that factoring in free sugars could incentivize companies to eliminate natural ingredients. Stuart Machin, CEO of Marks & Spencer, has described the plans as ‘nonsensical,’ according to reports by the Sunday Telegraph.

Stuart Machin, the chief executive of Marks & Spencer, said the plans were ‘nonsensical’, the Sunday Telegraph reports.

He said the proposed change ‘encourages us to remove fruit purees from yoghurts or tomato paste from pasta sauces and replace them with artificial sweeteners’.

Meanwhile a spokesman for Mars Food & Nutrition, which makes the popular Dolmio pasta sauces, warned the rules could have ‘unintended consequences for consumers, such as vegetable and fruit purees and pastes being replaced with ingredients of lower nutrient density’.

Tomatoes could be stripped from pasta sauces under Labour’s sugar crackdown, supermarket chiefs have warned (file image)

Health officials are now considering whether to use the new classification system, officially called the Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM), for the junk food advertising ban.

This means that products containing fruit and vegetable purees could join crisps, sweets and biscuits in the ban on advertising between 5.30am and 9pm.

Kate Halliwell, the chief scientific officer at the Food and Drink Federation (FDF), said companies would likely consider reducing the amount of fruit and vegetables from their recipes in order to escape the restrictions.

She said: ‘Given the majority of the UK population are already struggling to reach their recommended five-a-day and daily fibre intake, we’re concerned that an unintended consequence of this policy could be that it makes it even harder for consumers to achieve this.’

A spokesman for Asda said the plans would ‘confuse customers, undermine data accuracy, and slow our progress helping customers build healthier baskets, aligned to our 2030 healthy sales target’.

The overhaul is part of a wider crackdown on obesity and forms part of Labour’s 10-year health plan.

Mr Machin added: ‘What we’ve seen so far on the NPM is nonsensical – not only does it completely stretch the definition of “junk food”, it also causes real confusion, never mind more bureaucracy and regulation.’

A Department of Health spokesman said: ‘Most children are consuming more than twice the recommended amount of free sugars, and more than one in three 11-year-olds are growing up overweight or obese.

‘We want to work with the food industry to make sure it is the healthy choices being advertised and not the “less healthy” ones so families have the right information to be able to make the healthy choice.’

Earlier this week a report from Danone – who manufacture probiotic yoghurts and drinks – warned that consumers are becoming ‘overwhelmed’ by conflicting advice on ‘healthy’ food.

James Mayer, President of Danone North Europe, said: ‘While the NHS 10-year plan rightly places a greater emphasis on the link between good nutrition and better health outcomes, we’re concerned other recent policy proposals, once implemented, may add to consumer confusion.

‘Industry has invested heavily in product reformulation – reducing fat, salt, and sugar to offer consumers healthier choices at the checkout. If those same products are suddenly reclassified as “unhealthy”, it undermines that effort and sends mixed messages to consumers.’

WHAT SHOULD A BALANCED DIET LOOK LIKE?

Meals should be based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally wholegrain, according to the NHS

• Eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. All fresh, frozen, dried and canned fruit and vegetables count

• Base meals on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally wholegrain

• 30 grams of fibre a day: This is the same as eating all of the following: 5 portions of fruit and vegetables, 2 whole-wheat cereal biscuits, 2 thick slices of wholemeal bread and large baked potato with the skin on

• Have some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soya drinks) choosing lower fat and lower sugar options

• Eat some beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including 2 portions of fish every week, one of which should be oily)

• Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and consuming in small amounts

• Drink 6-8 cups/glasses of water a day

• Adults should have less than 6g of salt and 20g of saturated fat for women or 30g for men a day

Source: NHS Eatwell Guide