Waiting in line at the market often puts us face to face with a bevy of snacks but making a healthy choice might not be easy. Researchers from the University of California, Davis, observed that 70% of the foods and beverages accessible to customers at checkout are unhealthy. When focusing solely on smaller snack options, this figure rises to 89%.

A recent study published in Current Developments in Nutrition presented a breakdown: candies (31%), sugar-sweetened drinks (11%), salty snacks (9%), and other sweets (6%). On the other end of the health spectrum, choices were limited: water (3%), nuts and seeds (2%), fruits and veggies (1%), legumes (0.1%), and milk (0.02%).

Jennifer Falbe, associate professor with the Department of Human Ecology and the study’s lead author, pinpointed the reason. The checkout counter is considered a hotspot by food and beverage industries. Every shopper passes through it, and its products often become impulse purchases. “This setup results from marketing agreements where brands pay for their predominantly unhealthy products to be placed at checkout,” Falbe commented.

The study involved evaluating checkout lanes across 102 food stores in various cities, coming right before Berkeley implemented a groundbreaking ordinance: the first U.S. city to mandate healthier food offerings at the checkout.

Falbe underlined the significance of Berkeley’s move. The U.S. consistently consumes more than the advised limits of added sugars and sodium. While Berkeley’s policy doesn’t remove candies from the store, it does take them away from the direct view at checkout, offering more nutritious alternatives instead.

In assessing product healthfulness at checkouts, researchers used Berkeley’s policy as a yardstick. They found that specialty food stores, chain supermarkets, and mass merchandisers had the most number of items meeting healthy standards. In contrast, independent grocery stores and dollar stores, predominantly found in lower-income neighborhoods, lagged behind.

Given that checkout choices hold powerfully sway over consumer decisions, Falbe envisions this research prompting more stores to diversify their offerings. “We have an opportunity to introduce more healthy alternatives at checkout, offering real choices to consumers,” she stated.

Contributors to this study came from both UC Davis and the University of Illinois Chicago. Research received funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Food Policy Program, and Falbe also garnered support from the National Institutes of Health.