UK Bans Junk Food Ads Before 9pm And Online

From today many adverts for high-fat, high-sugar and high-salt foods are no longer allowed on TV before 9pm — and they are banned online at all times. The government says the move is aimed at tackling the country’s childhood obesity problem. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) will police the new rules, which stop 13 categories of products from appearing in pre-watershed TV spots or anywhere online. The list is broad; it even covers items often thought of as healthy, such as sandwiches, pretzels and most products from the breakfast cereal aisle, including porridge oats and muesli. Industry had already been operating to the new standards since October, voluntarily removing or reformulating ads to fit the government’s complex criteria. That voluntary shift produced an unusual Christmas advertising season: advertisers ran lower-fat, lower-sugar and lower-salt spots, and some festive ads featured fruit and vegetables instead of traditional puddings and sweet treats. But the rules contain a tangle of exceptions and caveats. Brands are still allowed to run marketing that promotes a company without showing an “identifiable” product — a decision that followed legal pressure from food-makers. Campaigners point out that this allows companies such as Cadbury or big fast-food chains to continue airing iconic brand adverts before the watershed, as long as no specific product appears on screen. Anna Taylor of the Food Foundation welcomed the change as a major step to reduce children’s exposure to junk-food marketing, but warned governments should not stop here. She said allowing brand-only advertising risks diluting the effect of the restrictions and called for continued action to limit children’s exposure to all junk-food marketing. Campaigners have also flagged how advertisers are shifting their budgets to other formats. A Food Foundation report shows spending on outdoor advertising — billboards and poster sites — climbed by 28% between 2021 and 2024, with McDonald’s increasing outdoor spend by the largest proportion. Outdoor sites are only covered by the new rules if they are within 100 metres of places such as schools or leisure centres. The advertising restrictions were first proposed in 2020 and were due to begin in 2023 under the previous government, but have taken longer to come fully into force. Today’s change represents a significant regulatory step, but campaigners and regulators will be watching to see whether the new rules actually reduce children’s exposure — or simply push marketing into new spaces. --- Managing your business finances? TaxAce provides smart online accountancy services for UK businesses with flexible monthly plans. Image and reporting: https://www.theguardian.com | Read original article