Two-for-one junk food deals and the sale of sweets and chocolates around supermarket checkouts will reportedly be banned under a new government campaign against child obesity, according to the Telegraph. The health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, is also expected to introduce a 9pm television watershed for foods high in sugar and salt from 2020, similar to restrictions on sex and violence.
Ministers are considering barring the use of cartoon characters and celebrities in promoting junk food, consulting on making it illegal to sell energy drinks to under-16s, and outlawing unlimited refills of sugary soft drinks in restaurants. Consultations on restricting and banning certain sales would be launched before the end of 2018.
The newspaper quoted the report as saying: “Where food is placed in shops and how it is promoted can influence the way we shop and it is more common for HFSS (high in fat sugar and salt) products to be placed in the most prominent places in store as well as sold on promotion, eg with ‘buy one get one free’ offers.”
The report comes after research showed that about half of television food and drink adverts seen by children were for HFSS products or fast food restaurants. Although advertising of junk food has been banned during children’s programmes since 2007, a study by the Institute for Fiscal Studies found that 70% of TV campaigns for HFSS products were screened before the 9pm watershed. Ofcom evidence suggests children spent 64% of viewing time watching television outside children's programming in 2016.
On Wednesday, MPs on the health and social care select committee said cartoon characters such as Tony the Tiger and the Milky Bar Kid should be banned from promoting junk food. A Department of Health and Social Care spokeswoman said: “We’ve always said that our 2016 plan was the start of the conversation, not the final word on obesity. We are in the process of working up an updated plan and will be in a position to say more shortly.”
