Campaigns around junk food advertising provide a useful precedent regarding the regulatory pathway for checks and balances on certain types of damaging advertising. In 2018, Transport for London (TfL) implemented a ban on unhealthy food advertising across the entire TfL network (tube, buses, bus stops, taxis, etc). The policy was voted on by the Greater London Authority - a democratic, elected body - whose consultation on the proposals found that 82% of Londoners supported the ban.
The policy was launched in February 2019. It covers any advertisements that directly or indirectly promote high fat, sugar and/or salt products (known by the acronym HFSS). The Department of Health’s Nutrient Profiling Model determines which products are considered HFSS, and so whether they can be advertised. Companies can apply for exceptions which are then determined by a panel.
Other local authorities that have Healthier Food Advertising Policies include: Redcar and Cleveland in North Yorkshire, and Southwark, a borough in London.
The Advertising Standards Authority has some regulatory codes on junk food.
Sustain (an umbrella group working on food and farming), Food Active and other interested groups are calling on the UK government to grant more powers to local authorities to control junk food promotion and to meet local nutrition and public health goals.
Whilst junk food advertising is beyond the scope of our ‘Badvertising’ campaign on high carbon advertising, there are clear parallels with large corporations promoting products that cause negative social and health outcomes. Discussing junk food advertising with your local councillor could be a useful way to open up a discussion on other forms of advertising.
What you can do:
If you’re concerned about junk food advertising as well as high carbon advertising, you can contact your local councillor (www.writetothem.com) and ask your council to implement a ‘Healthier Food Advertising Policy’.
For more information on how you can combat junk food advertising, check out Sustain’s 2019 report Taking Down Junk Food Ads - How local areas are taking action on outdoor advertising.