Consultations: Television Advertising of Food and Drink Products to Children
Name: Television Advertising of Food and Drink Products to Children
Source: Office of Communications (Ofcom)
Date: June 2006
The Office of Communications (Ofcom) has been charged by the Government with carrying out a review of the rules governing the advertising and promotion of food and drink to children. In the Department of Health Choosing Health White Paper, published in December 2004, the Government committed to legislate to restrict food advertising to children in 2007, unless the balance of advertising significantly shifted away from the promotion of predominantly high fat, sugar and salt products in the meantime.
Cancer Research UK responded to the Ofcom consultation stressing support for action to tighten restrictions on the broadcast advertising of foods high in fat, salt and sugar to children. Whilst we acknowledge that action in this area is just one strand of the multi-faceted approach needed to tackle rapidly increasing levels of childhood obesity, we believe the balance of evidence shows that tighter restrictions would be beneficial. Our response highlights support for restrictions to the 9pm watershed, as we know that many young children watch television in the early evenings and not just during dedicated children’s programming.
For more information, please read the consultation response in full.
Television advertising of food and drink products to children: options for new restrictions
Ofcom published their initial report on the 9th October 2006, and invited responses to their proposals for new restrictions.
Cancer Research UK welcomes the decision to restrict only the promotion of foods high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) to children and supports the promotion of products of greater nutritional value.
However, we are disappointed that Ofcom does not currently plan to introduce a 9pm watershed, as we believe that this would be the most effective way to restrict the advertising and promotion of HFSS foods to children.
For more information, please read the response to the second consultation.
