British Government's Unhealthy Food Ad Ban Delayed

The British government has delayed its much-debated plans to introduce an advertising ban on foods that contain high fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) by a year as well as pushing back the introduction of deals and limiting the locations of unhealthy foods positioned in stores. Citing the soaring cost of living as the reason for delaying the new food legislations, the advertising ban, which was scheduled to come into force on Jan. 1, 2023, would have seen a TV watershed introduced before 9 p.m. on HFSS brands while digital advertising would have been banned altogether for such companies. Instead, the government has said it will begin a consultation into the proposal in the coming weeks as it aims to tackle growing obesity issues. Other elements of the now delayed proposal include a ban on in-store meal deals such as buy one get one free (BOGOF), three for two, and restrictions on free refills for soft drinks. Reactions to the delay The government’s media, data and digital minister Julia Lopez said that it was still “determined to tackle childhood obesity and are working hard to improve young people’s health.” “We have listened to the concerns which have been raised and will not be bringing in restrictions on junk food advertising until confident that the time is right,” she said. Advertising bodies such as IAB U.K., ISBA and the Advertising Association had pushed back against the ban, citing the government’s own research that the measures would not be effective in countering obesity rates. In a statement, Phil Smith, director general of ISBA, said the organization welcomed the acknowledgment that the original timetable for the ban did not leave businesses enough time to ready themselves. “At a time of low growth, it makes little to no sense to pile costs on advertising—an industry which is a key driver of Britain’s economic success. With the U.K. in the grip of a cost of living crisis and with the specter of rising inflation, we need a total focus on supporting our food manufacturing and broadcast industries to grow and invest,” he said, adding that the advertising industry was ready to work with the government to tackle the problem. Speaking on behalf of the Advertising Association, Sue Eustace, director of public affairs, described the delay as “sensible” to offer more time for preparation. “The industry is committed to tackling this issue in a way that recognizes the cost of living crisis and pressures that everybody is facing currently. There are many ways that advertising can help achieve this ambition, not least through promoting active lifestyles such as The Daily Mile,” she said. “We know from the evidence that an HFSS ad ban will not be the most effective route, and we welcome the opportunity to look again at this legislation and find the best way to a solution.” If You Believe Advertising Works Then Don't Argue Against the UK HFSS Ad Ban However, health campaigners have criticized the delay. Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research U.K., told Talking Retail that the policies were “critical to reducing obesity,” which she cited as being the second biggest preventable cause of cancer. “At a time when people have less money in their pockets, BOGOF or volume-based price promotions increase the amount people spend by 20%, because they buy more than they intended to and cause impulse buying of unhealthy foods,” she said. “Delaying this evidence-based measure would be delaying progress in helping people maintain a healthy weight and risks exacerbating health inequalities.”