Marks and Spencer is to include alcohol in the disclosures the UK retailer makes on its sales of healthier products.

The grocer said it was the first retailer in the UK to incorporate alcohol in its declarations of food sales including the percentage of healthier options.

M&S is among the UK retailers that publish data on the sales of healthier food products.

Last year, the UK government announced plans to make the reporting of sales of healthier options mandatory for larger companies by 2029.

However, the proposals do not include alcohol, which M&S said “misses a key element of UK shopping baskets and supermarket sales”.

The retailer pointed to data from UK think tank Nesta that shows alcohol contributes around 5% of calories bought by UK adults.

Alex Freudmann, the MD of M&S’s food business, said: “We are voluntarily including alcohol in our healthy food sales target because it’s the right thing to do.

“We support the Government’s proposal for mandatory reporting of food sales, encouraging retailers to make healthy choices easier for customers. However, reporting models do not currently include alcohol, which, as research shows, can contribute to empty calories, having a potential impact on health.”

Karen Tyrell, the CEO of the charity Drinkaware, backed the move. “Our research shows nearly three-quarters of all alcohol is bought in supermarkets and convenience stores and, with UK drinkers most likely to regularly drink at home, this move will provide valuable insights into the habits and behaviours of home drinkers.”