Junk Food TV ad ban.

[Workingman]

Well, at least until after 9 PM.

It will be on all forms of TV - broadcast, catch-up, on demand, streaming - and is suppose to be to protect our children from obesity and poor diet. I suppose it is a harmless thing to do, but whether it will work or not is debatable. Junk food is available almost everywhere; shop after shop after shop, it needs no advertising.

I can also see a big legal bill coming down the track as companies fight their corner over what junk food really is - how is it defined? To me sweets and chocolate bars obviously fit the bill, but what about a burger in a bun, or some chicken in a bucket or a pizza, a rib eye steak, breakfast cereals?

The ban is not due till October the 1st 2025 but I can see it never happening.

[TheOstrich]

I suppose setting the dealine for a year's time gives everybody the space to argue the toss about it, and
I imagine it's a component part of Starmer's NHS reforms, but at the end of the day, it's just another meaningless gimmick.
Nobody's going to ditch McDonalds or Dominoes on the basis of a Labour directive.

[Workingman]

The list of junk food has been published here and it is very comprehensive.

I wonder what advert breaks will be like should the ban ever come into effect. More gambling, beds, detergents, cars, life insurance for the over 60s, triple glazing....?

Channels are going to take a real hit to their income flows and that will hurt the quality of programming, so we can probably expect more reality shows and cheap and meaningless game shows and a lot less drama once the law of unintended consequences sets in.

[TheOstrich]

The list of junk food has been published here and it is very comprehensive.

Good grief! If they are talking about Ready Meals (number 13 on the list), presumably that would include Wiltshire Farm Foods, whose whole business is providing a meals-on-wheels service for the elderly?

[Workingman]

Add in no more advertising from McD, KFC, Walkers, Mr Kipling, Kellogg's, Coke. Pepsi, Ginster's, Danish bacon nor from the supermarkets and Co-Op etc. because it is all junk food.

It's a lot of money for the TV industry to lose.

[cromwell]

I understand that they want to do something but as long as there is cheap takeaway food available, some people are going to eat it. Something needs to be done but I can't think what.

[saundra]

I don't think for one minute people will take any notice it's a gimmick I actually don't like pizza or many ready meal yuck
Each to there own

[Osc]

I’d rather see a ban on supermarket special offers almost always being ultra processed foods, full of additives and sugar. Very rare to see those offers for fresh foods.

[TheOstrich]

I’d rather see a ban on supermarket special offers almost always being ultra processed foods, full of additives and sugar. Very rare to see those offers for fresh foods.

I don't know if you have Aldi supermarkets in the RoI, Osc, (I imagine you must do as they're German), but they regularly promote the "Weekly Super Six" here, which are price reductions on selected fruit and veg. This week, its green beans @ 69p, 2 pack sweetcorn @ 99p, figs (!) 89p (bought those today ), 6 pack Coxes apples 99p, Conference pears 99p, and cauliflowers 99p.

The caulis in store today were huge, and I know the price reduction on them was 20p each! Asda will be gnashing their teeth because they price-match Aldi; I shall be interested to see if theirs come down to 99p next week

[medsec222]

I posted on the wrong thread peeps!

Have re-posted.

Maybe some sort of control or ban on the ingredients or amount of the offending ingredients that manufactoruers are allowed to put in their products might help. If they have to reduce the incredients that appeal to the tastebuds then the product might not be so appertising. Biscuits or maybe a muffin is very appealing with a cup of coffee mid-morning - I am as guilty as the rest!