Retailer Woolworths says it will remove sweets and chocolates from checkout aisles.

Woolworths said it will be engaging with customers through panel discussions and focus groups to find out what alternatives they would like to see in the checkout aisles.

“The rollout will start with all new Woolworths stores, as well as large format stores,” it said in a statement on Friday (28 August).

Woolworths said it has been on its Good Food Journey for over 10 years, during which time significant steps have been taken towards providing customers with better choices.

Some noteworthy milestones have included the announcement in 1999 that MSG and tartrazine would no longer be used, as well as substantial salt and sugar reductions in many existing foods products, it said.

Read: The most fattening fast food kids meals in South Africa

“As the next step on this journey, Woolworths has made the decision to remove all sweets and chocolates from our checkout queues, reflecting our commitment to providing alternatives for children and parents,” Woolworths said.

The chain said that over the course of 2007 and 2008, it removed the equivalent of 20 million teaspoons (approximately 79 tonnes) of sugar from chilled 100% juices and nectars, reduced the sugar content across the yoghurt range by 15%.

It said that it has reduced the salt content used in making over 100 of its own-brand products which has resulted in a dramatic reduction of 35.2 tonnes of salt. These include breads, cereals and deli meats, as well as biltong, cheese, boerewors, fish, party snacks and some of its frozen foods.

Spencer Sonn, member of the Foods Leadership Team at Woolworths, said: “I am delighted that we are committing to remove sweets and chocolates from our checkout aisles. Customers can trust that Woolworths has their best interests at heart, and as a father myself, I am very proud that we are leading the way on providing healthier kids’ options.”

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