Ban on junk food TV adverts

[Baron99]

On 13/09/2024 at 10:51, El Cid said:

A ban on junk food adverts being shown on TV before 21:00 will come into force on 1 October 2025, the government has confirmed.

Labour said the watershed on junk food advertising would be enforced alongside a total ban on paid-for online adverts, both aimed at tackling childhood obesity.

The Conservatives had previously committed to the ban in 2021 when Boris Johnson was prime minister, but it was pushed back to give the industry more time to prepare.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2n2g5wze4o

 

Will a ban solve anything?

There are loads of obese adults, why just ban adds for children's?

Is a Mars bar junk food, McDonalds, fish n chips, Kelloggs corn flakes, what is junk food and is this the cause of obesity?

I thought we already had a ban on junk food ads years ago before 21:00.

 

Presumably this means on ITV?  It was only a couple of months ago that a report was put out that most pre-teens & above don't watch mainstream tv so how effective is a ban when it won't apply to streamed media content? 

 

The best way to stop children eating junk food is simply for their parents to say "NO!" 

 

[ECCOnoob]

4 minutes ago, Baron99 said:

I thought we already had a ban on junk food ads years ago before 21:00.

 

Presumably this means on ITV?  It was only a couple of months ago that a report was put out that most pre-teens & above don't watch mainstream tv so how effective is a ban when it won't apply to streamed media content? 

 

The best way to stop children eating junk food is simply for their parents to say "NO!" 

 

 

I do seem to recall some discussion about it a long time ago.

 

To be honest, another point that just come to my mind (which shows how useless this government initiative is going to be), is the fact that the majority of the younger folk don't even watch linear television anyway. What about all the junk food adverts all over YouTube, TikTok, Twitch, Facebook and all the other social media which the young people spend their hours watching far more than television. I'd like to see how the government proposal will work with that considering lots of these social media companies aren't even based in the UK and the algorithm technology makes it very difficult to control exactly what and when adverts are going to be put with which video.

 

As I say earlier, a pointless gesture just to be seen to be doing something rather than actual practical reasons.  

[El Cid]

Under the new rules a particular food will be banned if it meets two criteria.

Firstly, if it is classified as “less healthy” on a government scoring system after its nutrients have been analysed – this includes salt, fat, sugar and protein.

Secondly, if it falls into one of 13 categories created by the government. They include:

1. Soft drinks: This covers any product that contains added sugar such as cola, lemonade and squash. It also includes fruit juice, smoothies and energy drinks.

2. Savoury snacks: Crisps mainly, but this also extends to crackers, rice cakes, tortilla chips and Bombay mix. There are exemptions for flavoured nuts, dried fruit and jerky.

3. Breakfast cereal: This includes granola, muesli, porridge oats and other items you would find in the breakfast aisle of a supermarket.

4. Chocolates and sweets: This applies to the vast majority of items you would find listed under confectionary, but also includes popcorn and chewing gum.

5. Ice cream: Dairy and non-dairy products, such as ice lollies, are covered by this as well as frozen yoghurt, sorbet and gelato.

6. Cakes and cupcakes: Flapjacks, doughnuts and éclairs are also included in this category - but icing is exempted.

7. Biscuits and bars: Protein and cereal bars are included, as are other products like wafers and toaster pastries.

8. Morning goods: Croissants, pain au chocolat and other pastries are the main foods covered here - but this category also extends to crumpets, scones, fruit loaves and hot cross buns.

9. Desserts and puddings: Custard, jelly and mousses are included, but there are exemptions for tinned fruit, cream and syrups.

10. Yoghurt: Any variety that has been sweetened is covered by this category, as are non-dairy alternatives, probiotic yoghurt and drinkable varieties.

11. Pizza: Plain bases and garlic bread are exempted from this, but otherwise all sizes and types of pizza are included.

12. Potatoes: Plain and sweet varieties that have not been cut or cooked are exempt, but several other potato-based products are included such as chips, hash browns and croquettes.

13. Ready meals: A broad category that covers anything intended to be eaten as a main meal, often after being reheated, and requires no further preparation. It also includes sandwiches and burgers.

Other foods also exempted from the ban include infant formula and baby food, weight control products, meal replacement products, food supplements and drinks used for medicinal purposes.

[pfifes]

2 minutes ago, El Cid said:

Under the new rules a particular food will be banned if it meets two criteria.

Firstly, if it is classified as “less healthy” on a government scoring system after its nutrients have been analysed – this includes salt, fat, sugar and protein.

Secondly, if it falls into one of 13 categories created by the government. They include:

1. Soft drinks: This covers any product that contains added sugar such as cola, lemonade and squash. It also includes fruit juice, smoothies and energy drinks.

2. Savoury snacks: Crisps mainly, but this also extends to crackers, rice cakes, tortilla chips and Bombay mix. There are exemptions for flavoured nuts, dried fruit and jerky.

3. Breakfast cereal: This includes granola, muesli, porridge oats and other items you would find in the breakfast aisle of a supermarket.

4. Chocolates and sweets: This applies to the vast majority of items you would find listed under confectionary, but also includes popcorn and chewing gum.

5. Ice cream: Dairy and non-dairy products, such as ice lollies, are covered by this as well as frozen yoghurt, sorbet and gelato.

6. Cakes and cupcakes: Flapjacks, doughnuts and éclairs are also included in this category - but icing is exempted.

7. Biscuits and bars: Protein and cereal bars are included, as are other products like wafers and toaster pastries.

8. Morning goods: Croissants, pain au chocolat and other pastries are the main foods covered here - but this category also extends to crumpets, scones, fruit loaves and hot cross buns.

9. Desserts and puddings: Custard, jelly and mousses are included, but there are exemptions for tinned fruit, cream and syrups.

10. Yoghurt: Any variety that has been sweetened is covered by this category, as are non-dairy alternatives, probiotic yoghurt and drinkable varieties.

11. Pizza: Plain bases and garlic bread are exempted from this, but otherwise all sizes and types of pizza are included.

12. Potatoes: Plain and sweet varieties that have not been cut or cooked are exempt, but several other potato-based products are included such as chips, hash browns and croquettes.

13. Ready meals: A broad category that covers anything intended to be eaten as a main meal, often after being reheated, and requires no further preparation. It also includes sandwiches and burgers.

Other foods also exempted from the ban include infant formula and baby food, weight control products, meal replacement products, food supplements and drinks used for medicinal purposes.

So porridge oats are deemed unhealthy and banned.  But syrup is allowed?

 

Rice cakes are deemed unhealthy and banned. But garlic bread (which can be absolutely loaded with fat) is allowed?  

Oh dear.  
 

[El Cid]

4 minutes ago, pfifes said:

So porridge oats are deemed unhealthy and banned.  But syrup is allowed?

 

Rice cakes are deemed unhealthy and banned. But garlic bread (which can be absolutely loaded with fat) is allowed?  

Oh dear.  
 

 

I assume porridge would need to be with added sugar to be banned.

[El Cid]

On a side issue, I am thinking about buying a bread-making machine, so my bread will be healthier.

[pfifes]

1 minute ago, El Cid said:

 

I assume porridge would need to be with added sugar to be banned.

It doesn’t say that on the list you posted.  And besides which syrup usually very high in sugar.  In fact many add it to flavour to plain porridge.  Maybe there are sugar free syrups available but even so they could scarcely be described as ‘nutritious’.

[ECCOnoob]

That is quite a list. 

 

My lawyer head is churning away and I'm just thinking out loud but it is making me wonder how many potential loopholes and disputes are going to come from this. 

 

Take for example. Coca-Cola.  Obviously promoting the drink that we all know and love along with its many other soft drinks would be banned under the rules. But the Coca-Cola company has a thousand one brands under its possession. Some of those include bottled water which can't be argued isn't healthy as long as you don't have any additives  - it's just water.  So would they be able to advertise with its logo and its brand but only show pictures of water or no pictures of any products at all. 

 

Similarly, about say, Mars corporation. Obviously the first thing that springs to mind is chocolate products, but Mars also owns things as far-reaching as pet foods to rice.  Again, if they were smart and didn't show any unhealthy products, would they be able to splash their logo all around.  Every time they ran a whiskers advert flash up a massive Mars logo. Just to remind people.  Is that breaking the rules....

 

The more I'm reading about this, the more I'm starting to think this is going to tie up the courts and the government. Really really interested to see what impact this actually will have and how strictly the government will get away with holding the rules. 

[Baron99]

Just a bag of ordinary rolled oats, the small flake type, own supermarkets brand, probably the cheapest cereal you can get, are an excellent breakfast meal but it also depends if you decide to add to them. 

 

My Dad a Scotsman, insisted on adding salt.  Tried myself, horrible & no need. Plus salt IS bad for you.

 

Porridge has its own natural salts & minerals pick up from the ground it was grown in.  If you decide to add a sweetner, that's up to you. 

 

The adding of any sweetner doesn't detract from the fact that overall, porridge is good for you.  Rolled oats are full of fibre, lower blood ahd  pressure & cholesterol 

[pfifes]

3 hours ago, Baron99 said:

Just a bag of ordinary rolled oats, the small flake type, own supermarkets brand, probably the cheapest cereal you can get, are an excellent breakfast meal but it also depends if you decide to add to them. 

 

My Dad a Scotsman, insisted on adding salt.  Tried myself, horrible & no need. Plus salt IS bad for you.

 

Porridge has its own natural salts & minerals pick up from the ground it was grown in.  If you decide to add a sweetner, that's up to you. 

 

The adding of any sweetner doesn't detract from the fact that overall, porridge is good for you.  Rolled oats are full of fibre, lower blood ahd  pressure & cholesterol 

I’ve often seen porridge recommended as a healthy breakfast so I find it very odd that it’s on a list of banned ‘junk foods’ to avoid advertising to children.  
Another oddity is icing being exempted.  Icing is very high in sugar.  Even as child I disliked it as I found it too sweet.  And icing is normally a topping on cake or similar which is banned!

Garlic bread is exempted on this list but  crumpets, scones, fruit loaves and hot cross buns are banned.  Now I suppose homemade garlic bread might not be too bad but pre prepared or takeaway garlic bread (I.e. the type advertised on TV) would generally be very high in fat.   Much more so than crumpets, scones, fruit loaves and hot cross buns which although not a perfect health foods, are generally lower in fat than takeaway or pre prepared garlic bread.  Some of these items contain sugar but normally in relatively modest quantities.  They are also traditional foods than have been around long before any obesity crisis and aren’t items that especially appeal to children.  

It feels like yet another initiative with good intentions, which is not properly thought through.