Swiss-based Nestlé, the world’s largest food manufacturer, is to cut the sugar content of some of their most popular childrens’ foods. The announcement will officially be made later today with the release of their “Global Marketing to Children Principles” in Switzerland. Among the products to be reformulated is the renowned Milo brand, with the company reporting they will stamp out advertising to children of products which do not meet a set nutritional profile. All products... ...Read more »

Australian food and beverage manufacturers have responded to community concerns regarding some food advertising during children programming by developing the Responsible Children’s Marketing Initiative. Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) Chief Executive Kate Carnell will today outline the food and beverage industry’s response to community concerns about advertising practices in the AFGC’s submission to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) on its revised... ...Read more »

Queenslanders have until the end of October to have their say on a proposed junk food ad ban during children’s TV viewing hours.Health Minister Stephen Robertson has called for more community feedback on the already strong response to the Bligh Government’s junk food discussion paper. “So far, more than 1,500 Queenslanders have completed our survey on regulating junk food and drink ads during kids’ TV programming,” he said. “But we want to hear from even more Queenslanders.... ...Read more »

Peak retail industry body the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) has today criticised the Queensland Prevention Alliance’s call for a total ban of food and drink advertising directed at children. The Queensland Prevention Alliance, which includes the AMA (Australian Medical Association) Queensland, Cancer Council Queensland, Diabetes Australia – Queensland and the Heart Foundation, is set to campaign heavily to ban junk food advertising to children over the next few months. ARA... ...Read more »

French Health Minister, Roselyne Bachelot, has rejected calls for a higher tax on foods considered to be unhealthy. A French parliamentary report released on Tuesday outlined 70 proposals for tackling obesity, including a controversial “junk food tax” that would increase the tax applied to certain food products. It would result in high fat, high sugar and high salt foods commanding a VAT (Value Added Tax) of almost 20 per cent - well above the current 5.5 per cent level. Ms Bachelot cited... ...Read more »

The major UK supermarket chains have all dramatically increased the number of in-store promotions featuring cheap sugary and fatty foods, the National Consumer Council (NCC) claimed today. The consumer group reported that high fat and high sugar food products now make up over half (54 per cent) of in-store supermarket promotions, nearly double the number recorded in the last survey in 2006. They believe the increase has most likely been heightened in the last couple of months due to the battle between... ...Read more »

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has released its draft Children’s Television Standards 2008 for public and industry comment, with general restrictions on food and beverage advertising not recommended. “ACMA’s draft standards are informed by a significant body of commissioned research, review and analysis of available data, detailed economic modelling and its consideration of public submissions,” said Chris Chapman, ACMA Chairman. “The draft... ...Read more »

The Bligh Government is considering a blanket ban of junk food advertising on children’s television as part of a strategy to help reverse the alarming rate of childhood obesity in Queensland. Premier Anna Bligh and Health Minister Stephen Robertson today released a discussion paper inviting public feedback on restricting junk food ads, the first initiative under today’s ‘Advancing Health Action - Australia’s Healthiest People’. “My Government puts a premium on... ...Read more »

New legal controls, including cross-border laws, are needed to halt all marketing of junk food and soft drinks to children up to 16 years, according to new proposals from the International Association for the Study of Obesity (IASO). The only promotions permitted to target children should be for foods which meet strict criteria for a healthy diet, says IASO’s policy arm, the International Obesity Taskforce (IOTF). An IOTF working group is calling for legal steps as part of an international... ...Read more »

For the first time, retailers, media, advertisers, food & drink manufacturers, fitness and healthcare companies partner with Government in the quest to fight against obesity. The industry consortium, spearheaded by the Advertising Association and working in partnership across Government, will aim to encourage healthy diets and physical activity in the run up to the London 2012 Olympics and make a significant and measurable contribution to fighting obesity in the UK. The firms involved,... ...Read more »