Tesco reaches target for healthier product sales

UK – Tesco has reached its goal of 65% of sales from healthier products, achieving the target set for 2025.

CEO Ken Murphy said the milestone was the result of a “massive collective effort” during a speech at the Sustainable Foods conference 2026 in London, UK.

Murphy indicated the company aims to continue improving but acknowledged that each further increase will be increasingly challenging.

He also called on the UK government to implement mandatory health reporting across the entire food industry, including out-of-home dining.

Health reporting is expected to become compulsory by the end of the current Parliament in 2029, although it remains unclear if it will cover large fast food chains and catering companies serving schools and hospitals.

In August, investors in major food companies expressed support for government proposals that would require businesses to report unhealthy food sales and set targets for healthier offerings.

Some grocery retailers and food manufacturers, including Aldi, Lidl, M&S, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose, Nestlé, Nomad Foods, and Premier Foods, have already started publishing sales data for foods high in fat, salt, and sugar while maintaining healthy food targets.

By contrast, catering providers for schools and hospitals such as Compass, Aramark, and Sodexo, along with fast food brands like Domino’s, Burger King, McDonald’s, and KFC, are not yet reporting these figures.

Tesco’s original target was introduced in 2021 following a shareholder resolution coordinated by ShareAction and was intended to increase the healthiness of customer baskets.

With a 27% share of the UK grocery market, Tesco’s progress is considered influential for overall national dietary trends and shareholder engagement on health issues.

Observers noted that Murphy spoke on sustainability and nutrition at a time when many other industry leaders remained quiet on these issues.

He emphasized that healthier customer baskets and sustainable supply chain practices are central to Tesco’s strategy moving forward as the company navigates broader industry challenges.

Other speakers at the conference, including Bel UK & Ireland managing director David Brandman, suggested changing the perception of snacking to highlight its potential to improve nutrition rather than viewing it as harmful.

Brandman revealed he and his team recently completed nutrition training after years without formal education in the field, which he said allowed them to create more informed product innovations and campaigns.

He added that it is the responsibility of everyone in the food sector to ensure they are trained on nutrition to contribute to the nation’s overall dietary health.

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