A fish and chip shop has been told by NHS bosses it must sell fruit and vegetables in addition to its usual offering before it can open.
A takeaway in Morfa Bychan, Gwynedd, North Wales, has been told it must offer “a good selection” of vegetables and fruit, as well as reducing the fat, salt and sugar content of its dishes .
Health board Betsi Cadwaladr said the store’s proximity to popular beach destination Black Rock Sands could put tourists at risk and expose locals to unhealthy foods year-round.
He said the availability of fast food outlets was a contributing factor to “weight gain in the general population” as well as obesity and poor nutrition among children in low-income areas.
A health board has ordered a fish and chip shop in Wales to offer fruit and vegetables
Health chiefs have said the proposed takeaway outlet should offer “a good selection” of healthy products and reduce the amount of fat, salt and sugar in its dishes.
The takeaway should also provide customers with “access to free tap water” or ensure free refills of water bottles to promote healthy wellbeing, health chiefs added.
Plans for the fish and chip shop have also attracted separate objections from Porthmadog Council over concerns with traffic and parking, as well as the proposed new business being an overdevelopment with a similar establishment already operating nearby.
Citing five other fast food outlets within a mile of the proposed store, the health board said in a statement in response to the planning application: “The location of this site is not appropriate for this application due to the proliferation/concentration of existing hot food Takeaways/restaurants predominantly selling foods and drinks high in fat, salt and sugar.
It said 60 per cent of adults in Wales were living with obesity or overweight, as well as 25.7 per cent of children aged 4 to 5.
But he added: “While we have outlined concerns in our response, there are small changes and nudges that could be made to the menu to encourage and offer healthier food and drink options.”
Betsi Cadwaladr health board said offering more vegetables would help the new business “safely contribute to the economic prosperity of the area”.
“These healthier options would allow the proposed development to safely contribute to economic prosperity in the area, which independently helps improve the health of the population.”
The intervention comes amid a number of measures taken by the Welsh Government to tackle obesity.
In July it announced that restaurants could be banned from offering customers free refills on fizzy or sugary drinks.
Supermarkets could be restricted from offering buy-one-get-one-free promotions on some products and could be required to relocate high-fat items away from entrances and checkouts, as well as store home pages. the websites.
