Tesco Bans 114 Additives in Major Crackdown on Ultra-Processed Foods
Tesco is stepping up its fight against ultra-processed foods by banning or restricting 114 additives across its own-brand range.
Tesco has launched a major crackdown on ultra-processed foods – with 114 additives now banned or restricted across its own-brand range.
The supermarket giant has dramatically expanded its previous policy, which restricted 65 additives in food and drink products.
Artificial colours, aspartame and monosodium glutamate are among the ingredients now banned from Tesco’s own-brand lines.
Other additives have been placed under tighter restrictions and are being targeted for further reformulation work with suppliers.
The move comes after Tesco found that a huge 80% of its customers are trying to cut down on ultra-processed foods.
Bosses say the overhaul is designed to make ingredients easier to understand and give shoppers more transparency over what is going into their baskets.
Tesco’s head of healthy and sustainable diets, Alice Ritchie, said making healthy and sustainably produced food affordable and accessible was a key priority.
She added: “We are working hard to reformulate our products to make them healthier and more nutritious and we provide clear guidance to our Own Brand suppliers on the use of additives.
“As part of this, we've restricted the use of 114 additives in our Own Brand products.”
The supermarket is also making it easier for online customers to spot products that meet their dietary preferences.
A new filter on the Tesco website allows shoppers to search for products without additives, giving customers more control over the food and drink they choose.
And the additives crackdown is only part of a wider push to improve the nutritional value of Tesco’s own-brand products.
The retail giant has been reformulating items by adding more vegetables, protein and fibre, while cutting levels of fat, sugar and salt.
Tesco said the work forms part of its long-term plan to encourage healthier diets.
However, the supermarket acknowledged there is still plenty of work to do, with 65% of its UK food sales currently not classed as healthy.
There has been some progress, though. Sales of fruit and vegetables have risen by 10% since 2022.
Now, with more shoppers turning their backs on ultra-processed foods, Tesco is hoping its biggest additives shake-up yet will help make healthier choices simpler.