New rules are leading to a healthier diet

Legislation to restrict supermarket sales of junk food has led to a 'significant' reduction in purchases, according to research carried out by the University of Leeds.

- by Harriet Sutton

The study estimates that two million fewer products high in fat, sugar or salt (HFSS) were sold per day after the new law took effect.

The team analysed 11.6 billion items sold in Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsbury's and Asda.

Before the legislation was implemented, 20 out of every 100 items sold were HFSS products that fell within the scope of the legislation.