Ever gone into a supermarket with the goal of buying healthy food, only to walk out with a trolley full of snacks, ready meals, and sugary drinks? That’s no coincidence. This phenomenon, often referred to as "how did that end up in my basket?", is carefully engineered. Supermarkets are driven by profit, and these ultra-processed foods are their golden ticket!
Ultra-processed foods are cheap to make. Big brands use low-cost ingredients like refined oils, sugar and artificial additives to create products with huge profit margins. Unlike fresh produce, which has a short shelf life and requires refrigeration, UPFs last for months (sometimes years), making them a safer bet for supermarkets. The longer a product lasts, the less risk of wasted stock (and wasted money).
The best spots in a supermarket; eye-level shelves, end-of-aisle displays and checkout counters, aren’t chosen randomly. Big food companies pay to have their products placed where you’re most likely to see them and grab them. The result? Ultra-processed, sugar-filled foods dominate the most visible areas. Even though there are rules to limit unhealthy foods in these spaces, many supermarkets flout these rules because they choose to prioritise profit over public health (read my blog post on tobacco companies and you'll get the idea). It’s something we should all be angry about.
Many UPFs are designed to be addictive. They hit the “bliss point”, the perfect mix of sugar, salt and fat that makes food irresistibly tasty and keeps you craving more. This isn’t a conspiracy theory; it’s food science. If supermarkets push products that keep customers hooked, those customers keep coming back for more, boosting sales and profits.
Supermarkets know that we live busy lives. Ready meals, snacks and pre-packaged foods are marketed as quick and easy solutions for people who don’t have time to cook from scratch. While they might save time, they’re often packed with preservatives, artificial flavours and hidden sugars that contribute to poor health including obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancers and fatty liver disease.
Ever noticed how “Buy One, Get One Free” deals are rarely on fresh fruit or vegetables? That’s because supermarkets use discounts to shift high-margin products, not necessarily the healthiest ones. According to The Food Foundation, 41% of price promotions and one in four multibuy offers are for unhealthy food and drink, whilst only 3.3% of price promotions are on fruit and veg. It’s no surprise that people fill their trolleys with the worst options when nutrient poor UPF products are constantly on sale while healthy food remains expensive.
If you can, support farm shops and independent producers for fresher, less-processed food to reduce your reliance on supermarkets that push ultra-processed options. Reject marketing tricks and choose the real, natural foods that our bodies are made for. By avoiding ultra-processed foods, we can make supermarkets take notice and demand healthier, more natural choices.
Supermarket profits in 2023/2024:
Aldi: Pre-tax profit of £536.7 million. (https://www.reuters.com)
Lidl: Pre-tax profit of £43.6 million. (https://www.reuters.com)
Morrisons: Operating profit of £503 million. (https://www.reuters.com)
Tesco: Operating profit forecasted at £2.9 billion. ( https://www.thetimes.co.uk)
Sainsbury's: Operating profit of £503 million. ( https://www.retailgazette.co.uk)
Asda: Pre-tax profit up 24%, surpassing £1 billion. (https://www.reuters.com)
Iceland: Pre-tax profit of £15.6 million (https://www.thegrocer.co.uk)
Sources
Food Foundation. (2023). Kids' Food Guarantee: Multibuys and Price Promotions Update. [online] Available at: https://foodfoundation.org.uk/publication/kids-food-guarantee-multibuys-and-price-promotions-update
Moss, M. (2009). How Junk Food Plays the Brain. The New York Times, [online] 23 June. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/23/health/23well.html
Obesity Health Alliance. (2025). Holgov. [online] Available at: https://obesityhealthalliance.org.uk/2025/01/30/holgov/
UK Government. (2023). Restricting promotions of products high in fat, sugar, or salt by location and by volume price: Implementation guidance. [online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/restricting-promotions-of-products-high-in-fat-sugar-or-salt-by-location-and-by-volume-price/restricting-promotions-of-products-high-in-fat-sugar-or-salt-by-location-and-by-volume-price-implementation-guidance