Lidl has said that it is scrapping packaging designs deemed attractive to children on its least healthy own-brand products.

From mid-2025, in what the retailer says is an "industry-first", the budget supermarket will no longer sell unhealthy products with packaging that displays 3D or animated shapes, brightly coloured patterns, or playful product names that do not reflect the items themselves.

For example, its popular gummy bears will transition from bright, cartoon-adorned packaging to a simpler, more product-focused design.

The retailer said the move goes further than new UK legislation set to restrict the advertisements of less healthy products to children from October.

It comes after Lidl became the first supermarket to remove cartoon characters from its breakfast cereals in 2020, with the move aiming to help parents avoid what it calls "pester power". Other supermarkets followed suit after Lidl.

In Spring 2024, the company policy expanded this policy to ban cartoon characters from all ‘less healthy’ products aimed at children.

These changes followed on from the discounter removing sweets and chocolates from checkouts nationwide in 2014.

"As a father of young children myself, I know how influential packaging designs can be on their preferences, and therefore understand the importance of taking a proactive position to better support parents up and down the country," said Bourns, chief commercial officer, Lidl GB. “Introducing these changes ahead of the upcoming legislation on advertising, signals our readiness to meet and exceed these standards."

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