Tesco customers could soon have their shopping vetted by GPs in an attempt to get them to ditch junk food.
Clubcard data could be made available to doctors who will then analyse the fat content of the goods people are buying, in a bid to tackle high cholesterol.
Those with high cholesterol readings will then get advice from a practice nurse on which artery-clogging products should be ditched from their weekly shop.
University of Oxford scientists have teamed up with the supermarket giant to trial the scheme, but have denied the pilot scheme is nannying.
The university’s Dr Carmen Piernas-Sanchez said: “This is not the nanny state at work as these people are volunteering and are already willing to try and change their eating habits.”
GPs in the Oxford area have been asked to nominate 112 at-risk patients aged over 18 for the trial.
Those giving their consent to take part in the pilot, due to start early next year, will be given a £10 gift voucher.
Volunteers will have weight and cholesterol checks with their GPs. Then a nurse will spend 15 minutes highlighting unhealthy purchases and suggesting alternatives.
After three months the tests will be repeated to see if the medics’ advice has made any difference.
If the scheme is successful it could be rolled out nationwide.
Critics called it snooping but said as long as it remained optional it would not be a problem.
Tesco stressed the scheme is optional and said it would never share customers’ data without permission.
