The Children’s Food Bill has been re-introduced to Parliament by Mary Creagh MP, To coincide with the Bill’s re-introduction, a full-colour summary copy of a new report, ‘The Children’s Food Bill - Why we need a new law, not more voluntary approaches’ will be distributed to every Member of Parliament.

The government has stated its preference for ‘strengthening’ voluntary codes on food promotion to children, but the report by Sustain: The alliance for better food and farming explains why self-regulation will not work. Using a range of case studies from a number of policy areas, such as tobacco advertising and alcohol promotion, Sustain’s report demonstrates how industry is unable, in a competitive market, to make voluntary approaches successful.

Charlie Powell, Sustain’s co-ordinator for the Children’s Food Bill Campaign, said: “The government’s plan that the tobacco and alcohol industries would self-regulate and stop marketing practices which encourage young people to consume their products has not worked. There is no reason to believe that Government’s hope that voluntary self-regulation can stop food and drink firms targeting children with advertising and promotions for ‘junk’ foods will be any more successful.

“In such highly competitive markets, voluntary approaches fail to protect children. Together with our wide coalition of 137 national supporting organisations, including many prominent medical and health organisations, professional associations and children’s charities, we are calling upon the Government to introduce statutory measures to protect children’s health from such commercial influences.”

The re-introduction of the Children’s Food Bill coincided with the release of a British Medical Association report which calls for tough action to tackle the crisis in childhood obesity. Repeated research demonstrates that food promotions to children influence their food preferences, purchase behaviour, preferences and consumption.

Topics