The Departments of Health and Social Care and Digital, Culture, Media and Sport have today opened a consultation seeking views on further advertising restrictions for products high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS).
The consultation aims to 'gather views on how the government can reduce children’s exposure to HFSS advertising', including the introduction of a 9 pm watershed on broadcast TV .
ISBA and our members recognise the role we have to play in addressing the issue of childhood obesity. We welcome the recognition of the progress already being made by industry - both from product reformulation and through the advertising co-regulatory system – and the potential to deliver an approach which builds on this progress in a sensible and evidence-led fashion.
That said, this consultation, in the midst of great Brexit uncertainty, is ill-timed by government. Our members are not simply advertisers. They are food and soft drink manufacturers, retailers and restaurants who are taking part in calorie and sugar reduction programmes, whilst attempting to mitigate the uncertainty of no-deal Brexit. For them, government’s highest priority must be to deliver certainty.
Further information about the consultation can be found on the government website.