Morrisons has signed up to become the first UK retailer to be part of the Responsible Can Packaging Pledge, which has been created to stop manufacturers and retailers from producing or selling any carbonated product with more than four units of alcohol in a single-serve can.

The pledge which is part of the Department of Health’s Responsibility Deal, aims to eventually encourage manufacturers and retailers to remove one billion units of alcohol sold annually from the market.

The supermarket which has already banned the sale of such products months before the Responsible Can Packaging Deal’s December 2014 deadline, hopes that its signature will inspire other retailers to follow suit.

Martyn Jones, Morrisons group corporate services director said: “We wanted to set the retail standard for responsible single-serve can packaging. We have been monitoring our range for some time and have already removed all single serve cans with more than four units from stores.

“We hope that signing up to the pledge will help support the government in reducing the incidence of alcohol related abuse in the UK. We now need other retailers to join us to make this as effective as possible.”