JAMA Netw Open

Can a healthy food ordinance successfully replace junk food at checkouts?

August 13, 2024

Berkeley's Healthy Checkout Ordinance (HCO) led to a significant improvement in the healthfulness of store checkout environments within just one year. Stores in Berkeley increased the availability of healthy food and beverage options while decreasing the presence of sugary products compared to other cities. However, further research is needed to understand the long-term effects of this policy on consumer behavior.

• Researchers observed products in the checkout areas in Berkeley and in three comparison cities without the HCO one month before the policy was implemented and one year later.
• Of the 76,258 product facings at store checkouts, the percentage that were HCO compliant increased by 63% in Berkeley relative to comparison cities.
• The percentage of food and beverage checkout options that consisted of candy, sugar-sweetened beverages, and other sweets significantly decreased while the percentage of unsweetened beverages and healthy food significantly increased (from 29% to 62%, a 125% increase relative to comparison cities).

Source:

Falbe J, et al. (2024, August 1). JAMA Netw Open. Food Environment After Implementation of a Healthy Checkout Policy. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39115848/