Food industry sidestepping regulation to promote junk food to young people
The Food Foundation’s ‘State of the Nation’s Food Industry’ report found outdoor advertising spend by food companies increased by 28% between 2021 and 2024, which followed the Government’s announcement in July 2020 of a forthcoming ban on TV and online advertising. McDonald’s is the worst offender and increased outdoor advertising spend by 71% between 2021 and 2024.
Over two thirds (71%) of food marketing cues on the world’s most popular videogame livestreaming platform are for unhealthy (HFSS) food and drinks, with 77% of branded cues for energy drinks and soft drinks, and 20% for the fast-food sector.
Approximately 39% of food and drink cues featured brands rather than identifiable products and would therefore be out of scope of the forthcoming regulations.
The report also found that corporate lobbying is rife, with the number of food industry meetings with ministers dwarfing the number of meetings with NGOs, with ten times as many meetings for industry in the first year of the new Government.
Rebecca Tobi, head of food business transformation at The Food Foundation, said: “We cannot continue to leave progress on healthy and sustainable sales to the market. It’s simply not working.
“Fixing the system so that it better serves both people and planet needs bold and urgent action from businesses but also, crucially, the Government, who are ultimately responsible for setting the parameters businesses operate in.
“For too long there has been no long-term vision for the UK’s food system with a striking lack of commercial incentives for businesses to produce and sell us good food. We hope the Government will introduce a new Food Bill to set out a clear direction of travel for the future of the UK’s food system and ensure better health and a liveable planet for the next generation lies at the heart of this.”