Campaigners condemn delay in bans on ‘junk food’ advertising

The government has said that instead of introducing the ban in 2023/24 it now plans to delay it until 2025.

Katharine Jenner, director of the Obesity Health Alliance, said: “Delaying junk food advertising restrictions is a shocking move by the government, with no valid justification to do so, other than giving a flimsy excuse that businesses need more time to prepare and reformulate.”

Professor Graham MacGregor, professor of cardiovascular medicine at Queen Mary University of London and chairman of Action on Sugar and Action on Salt, said: “The only people to benefit from this baseless delay are the multinational food companies who are used to making huge profits from their unhealthy products and do not have a vested interest in the nation’s health.”

MacGregor added that diets high in saturated fat, salt and sugar were the biggest cause of death and disability globally and cost the UK more than £100bn a year.

Chris Askew, chief executive of Diabetes UK, said: “Delaying action will disproportionately impact the lowest-income households, who have less access to healthy food and are targeted by a greater amount of advertising of unhealthy food.

“The Government’s shameful decision to delay these vital measures means that people living in the most deprived areas will continue to be pushed towards unhealthy options, further entrenching the health inequalities that exist in rates of type 2 diabetes and obesity in England.”