Food marketers in the United Kingdom are dismayed that a plan to severely restrict marketing of unhealthy food to children has the imprimatur of the Queen.
The UK food industry has been fighting against measures that would tighten regulations for advertising foods high in fat, salt and/or sugar. Announced last fall, it entails completely banning online advertising of such foods, and allowing TV ads only after 9 p.m. It’s set to take effect at the end of 2022.
There had been hope that the Conservative government under Prime Minister Boris Johnson might back away from the restrictions. But Queen Elizabeth affirmed them during her annual speech to Parliament on May 11.
The UK’s Advertising Association denounced the measures, with CEO Stephen Woodford telling Adweek, “The 9 p.m. watershed and online ban will not reduce obesity levels, but will damage business and innovation and put jobs at risk.”
