UK bans High Fat, Sugar, Salt advertising

The UK government has confirmed that it will implement a total ban on paid-for advertising of high fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) products by the end of 2022

Upcoming regulations in the U.K. are aimed at curbing obesity and the literal weight on the UK health system caused by the extensive health issues resulting from poor food choices.

AS THE WORLD MOVES TOWARDS POLICIES THAT PROMOTE HEALTHIER AND MORE SUSTAINABLE DIETS, THE CHALLENGE IS TO DESIGN REGULATIONS THAT IMPROVE NUTRITIONAL QUALITY AND REDUCE THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF THE FOODS WE EAT.

HEALTH BENEFITS INVARIABLY ALSO MEAN BENEFITS FOR THE PLANET AND ALL THOSE WHOSE LIVES DEPEND ON IT NOW, AND FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.

The UK is among 50 countries who now have a tax on sugar and the ban saw many manufacturers reformulating sugar sweetened beverages with sugar volumes that fall below the taxation threshold.

This advertising ban targets more than sugar and is expected to have even broader implications for many consumer goods manufacturers and retailers. With a 9pm curfew on advertising, NielsenIQ projects that depending on their promotional dependency, brands will show losses between 5% and 20% unless they innovate and adapt, quickly.

What is banned?

Apart from specific foods, upselling and vicinity placement is also banned:

• Restrictions will be placed on “buy one get one free” or “three for the price of two” price promotions of HFSS products, and free refills on soft drinks will not be allowed.
• HFSS foods may not be placed in checkout aisles, at the ends of store aisles, or in store entrances. Similarly, online shopping sites may not advertise HFSS foods on their homepage or pages where customers view their online cart to check out.
• Price promotion exemptions will be made for businesses with fewer than 50 employees, and HFSS product placement exemptions will be made for businesses with fewer than 50 employees as well as stores smaller than 2,000 square feet and specialty stores such as bakeries and chocolatiers. 

HFSS food and beverage examples*

Banned foods include:

• Sweetened beverages (soda, water, juice, coffee, tea, or sport drinks with added sugar or other caloric sweeteners), energy drinks
• Doughnuts, cakes, sweet biscuits, pastries, croissants, sweet bakery treats
• Fruits canned in syrup, dried fruit with added sugar
• Chocolate nut spreads, trail mix or nut bar with chocolate or candy, nuts coated in candy or honey
• Milkshakes
• Pork and beef sausage/hot dogs, salami, prosciutto, bacon, fried meats, fried fish
• Pizza, hamburger meals with fries, fried food
• Candy, chocolate, sweets, sugar confections, gummy snacks, ice cream, marshmallows
• Butter, salt, caloric sweeteners (e.g., maple syrup, agave, honey, sugar), coconut oil

What is the relationshiop among obesity, disease and climate change?

According to Lancet, "Malnutrition, especially obesity, is the leading cause of poor health worldwide. Despite no obvious connection, climate change is also a contributing factor to this issue. And because of its sweeping effects on human health and the natural systems, climate change is now considered as a pandemic by scientists.

With climate change, increasing ambient temperatures and precipitations could contribute to a higher obesity rate due to reductions in physical activity.  And as extreme weather increases, fruit and vegetable products will become more expensive, making it harder to maintain a healthy diet.

The increased price might exacerbate the dietary shift towards processed food and beverages, which are based on inexpensive commodity ingredients such as sugar and oils; and often include multiple preservatives, colourings and flavourings. Although not all processed foods are unhealthy, a high intake of these food products is linked to poor diet quality, obesity and diet-related non-communicable (NCD) risks.

Climate change induced food insecurity is also linked to a higher rate of obesity. Not only in developing countries, food insecurity also happens in economically stable countries."

*Source Google 360 / Image: Unsplash | Annie Spratt

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