Grocery supermarket chain Lidl has revealed plans to rebrand eight of its own-brand Crownfield products in the UK.
The plan to remove cartoon characters on cereal boxes is part of the company’s goal to help parents make healthy food choices and overcome their children’s ‘pester power’ pressure.
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Lidl head of corporate social responsibility Georgina Hall said: “We want to help parents across Britain make healthy and informed choices about the food they buy for their children.
“We know ‘pester power’ can cause difficult battles on the shop floor and we are hoping that removing cartoon characters from cereal packaging will alleviate some of the pressure parents are under.
“This latest move underpins our commitment to making good food accessible for everyone and helping customers lead healthier lives.”
The retailer will introduce its cartoon-free Crownfield cereals boxes at 790 stores in the country by March this year. Names of the cereal boxes will remain unchanged.
In 2018, a group of MPs proposed a ban on the use of cartoon characters on unhealthy food in advertising.
The proposal seeks to help curb childhood obesity, which is one of the leading causes of health inequality. However, licensed characters can still feature on unhealthy products on shop shelves.
Obesity Health Alliance Caroline Cerny said: “We need the government to introduce regulations to create a level playing field and protect children from all types of junk food marketing.”
