The government has started drawing up plans for a new industry code of practice on the marketing of products high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS), The Grocer can exclusively reveal.
The move, unveiled in documents released days after the Department of Health finalised its new front-of-pack labelling system, is looking to “fill the gaps” in regulation and voluntary codes that cover advertising on TV and other traditional media.
A DH report reveals the plans are “high priority” for ministers and include supermarkets and suppliers being asked to cap the amount of marketing and promotional spend on high fat, salt and sugar foods, including pre-sugared breakfast cereals, many fizzy soft drinks, confectionery and crisps.
It will also call on the industry to agree a voluntary ban on multibuy promotions in food categories where there is proof that over-consumption is contributing to the obesity crisis, and ask retailers to commit to store layout changes, including the abolition of so-called “guilt lanes”.
Despite only just launching the new front-of-pack system last week, the DH is also calling on suppliers and retailers to agree to introduce new on-pack marketing to actively promote healthier products and to introduce restrictions on the use of licensed and brand equity characters.
The moves would have a particular emphasis on marketing of food to children, said the report, and while ministers had “no intention” of re-examining the regulatory and co-regulatory arrangements already in place through Ofcom and the ASA, they had set out to tackle “gaps” highlighted in a study by the UK Health Forum in a 2011 report.
These include in-store marketing and promotion, digital media and sponsorship of sporting events, with the study in question claiming both adults and children were being bombarded with marketing skewed in favour of the most unhealthy food.
The DH plans to produce a further report in September on how the code will be implemented, which is likely to be under a series of new Responsibility Deal pledges.
One senior supplier source expressed concern that the DH targeted “the same companies yet again” under the deal, rather than seeking to broaden take-up of its previous pledges.
“With the ink barely dry on the front-of-pack plans, we’re now on to marketing and promotion,” he said. “I think a lot of companies will be concerned that this is happening while there seems to be precious little evidence of the government making any meaningful attempts to broaden take up of the Responsibility Deal.”
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