Tesco and Morrisons said this week they were investigating how HFSS products came to be included in aisle-end Christmas promotions, despite them being banned since October.
The Grocer has seen pictures of two Tesco stores, in Reading and Richmond, and a Morrisons supermarket, also in Reading, appearing to flout the regulations.
The promotions in Tesco included Christmas puddings and Mr Kipling cakes, as well as mince pies.
Morrisons, meanwhile, had on display Maltesers and Roses chocolates, as well as a range of HFSS Christmas products.
Rules in promotions of HFSS products in prominent locations such as aisle ends came into force in October, despite the government watering down key elements of its obesity strategy, in one of the biggest changes to store layouts ever seen.
It is the second time Tesco has been found to have gone back on its pledges on HFSS marketing.
In November it ran a ‘5 for 4’ promotional campaign featuring items such as ice cream, frozen desserts and pizzas, despite previously pledging not to run multibuy deals on products high in fat, salt and sugar, despite the government delaying the plans until next year.
A Tesco spokesman said: “We are committed to helping our customers to eat more healthy, sustainable and affordable food. We’re really sorry that a small number of products in our Reading West Extra and Richmond George Street Express stores made it on to a shelf where they should not have been.
“These were simple mistakes made at a very busy time in stores and these products have now been removed.”
A Morrisons spokesman said: “We have been in touch with the store and are making the necessary changes as soon as we can.”
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