Jacob Rees-Mogg today told the public to defy the ban on sugary goods at supermarket tills, saying “freedom for Chocolate Oranges!”
The business secretary encouraged people to commit a “passive protest” by moving chocolate to the checkout counter in supermarkets.
He made the comments at a fringe meeting at Tory Party conference in Birmingham just days after the ban came into force.
The restrictions on where shops can display junk food come into effect on Saturday.
It means supermarkets are not allowed to display products high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) in prominent locations, such as their entrances and till areas.
But the senior cabinet minister told the Institute of Economic Affairs: “I encourage people - as a passive protest - to move the Chocolate Oranges to the checkout counter when they’re next in a particular supermarket - whose name I would think has appeared in the public press.
“Freedom for Chocolate Oranges is what I say!”
As part of the ban, shoppers will also no longer see sweet treats on offer near any entry point or checkout.
But a ban on multi-buy deals on HFSS foods has been delayed until October next year.
The government said the change has been made in response to shoppers facing rising prices and cost-of-living pressures.
A crackdown on junk food advertising has also been delayed for a year and comes as the government reviews its anti-obesity strategy.
Rees-Mogg made his comments in response to a question from IEA director general Mark Littlewood in a discussion on deregulation.
Littlewood told him: “I’m told that there’s a major supermarket that have now complied with the government’s ridiculous rules about what can be displayed at the end of aisles.
“And having now complied with this at the cost of many millions of pounds, they are campaigning to keep the regulations to make sure that new entrants have to comply with it. You have a range of very major of forces against you don’t you?”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Tackling obesity remains a priority for the government. Having a fit and healthy population is essential for a thriving economy and we remain committed to helping people live healthier lives.
“We continue to work closely with industry so that everyone can access healthy, affordable, high quality food, and have already achieved a 13% reduction in the amount of sugar in breakfast cereals, yogurts and fromage frais.”