Junk food ads on TV will be banned before the 9pm catchment area as part of the government’s drive to improve public health.
In addition, online advertising for products high in fat, salt and sugar will be banned altogether, Health Minister Andrew Gwynne said. told the House of Commons on Thursday. Both measures will come into effect on October 1, 2025.
Health campaigners welcomed the move as a long-awaited curb on companies’ ability to bombard children with advertising for their unhealthy food and drink products.
James Toop, CEO of Bite Back, which is part of chef Jamie Oliver’s organisation, said: “This is fantastic news. These restrictions will help protect children from exposure to unhealthy food and drink advertising, which research shows significantly impacts their relationship with food.
“We know that the more junk food ads you see, the more unhealthy foods you are likely to consume. By limiting these ads, you prevent more young people from falling into this trap.”
The previous Conservative government promised to implement the ban on TV broadcasting in the catchment area from January 2023. But a month before it was due to come into effect, Rishi Sunak decided to delay the ban until 2025, sparking a wave of criticism for putting the interests of big business before improving children’s health.
Boris Johnson, one of Sunak’s predecessors, had planned to implement the same measure. But he too postponed plans to do so, ostensibly to help families cope with the cost of living. He was rebuked for this by former Conservative health ministers Dr Dan Poulter and James Bethell.
Katharine Jenner, chief executive of the Obesity Health Alliance, said: “For too long the food industry has resisted these new restrictions on advertising unhealthy foods on TV before 9pm and online at any time, saying they need ‘more time to prepare’. That is no longer the case.”
Gwynne told MPs in a written ministerial statement that Labour was taking action because of widespread concerns about the number of overweight children in England.
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“More than one in five children in England are overweight or obese by the time they start primary school, rising to more than a third by the time they leave primary school,” he said. “We want to tackle the problem head-on, and that includes implementing the restrictions on junk food advertising on TV and online without further delay.”