CFG
11/04 rev.
Foodaware comments
on the FSA consultation on its Action Plan on the promotion of food
to children
Schools
School vending machines
Nutritional criteria and signposting
Government
OFCOM and broadcasters
The FSA
The food industry
The Agency's Action Plan was adopted in March. It reflects some of
the concerns previously expressed by Foodaware. The Plan accepts the
evidence that promotional activity influences children's eating habits.
Parents and children need help to reduce the proportion of children's
diets which are made up of foods, snacks or meals high in fat, sugar
or salt in favour of healthier options, says the FSA, including by
changing the way that foods are promoted to children. Like Foodaware,
the FSA concludes that it is time to move from debating the issue
to action.
General comments
Foodaware called for the Food Standards Agency to be set up and no
better example could be given of why it is needed than its willingness
now to champion parents and children in the struggle to eat well.
Action against the promotion of unhealthy foods to children is urgent.
Detailed comments
Schools
Foodaware particularly welcomes the FSA's intervention in the area
of nutrition in schools. Foodaware agrees with the proposed action
on school meals and supports the use of tokens to avoid stigma for
children taking free school meals, and learning from the popularity
of the methods of fast food outlets (if not their menus!) We can learn
here from best practice in Scotland.
However, we also favour action against indirect marketing in schools
for example, by means of branded educational materials donated by
companies to promote unhealthy options.
School vending machines
School snack shops and vending machines should swap to healthy options.
There are examples of how this can be achieved without loss of revenue
but in any case priority should be given to health, especially as
the quality of snacks and drinks at school has an influence on behaviour
and learning. All school children should have easy access to clean
drinking water. We agree that vending machines should not advertise
unhealthy options including through branding.
Nutritional criteria and signposting
Foodaware welcomes action to improve the nutritional quality of foods
aimed at children by setting fat, salt and sugar targets with industry.
We have for some time called for nutritional labelling and stand ready
to help develop and test ideas for a simple way of representing nutritional
status. Foodaware agrees that health and nutrition claims on children's
foods need special examination and action.
Government
Of course government and government agencies should not endorse promotional
campaigns which promote unhealthy options to children.
Foodaware supports improved nutritional labelling at EU level. We
have contributed to the EU Economic and Social Committee Opinion which
supports arrangements to prohibit use of nutrition and health claims
on foods with adverse nutritional profiles and we have written to
all UK MEPs. We will resume our efforts with the new MEPs.
OFCOM and broadcasters
Foodaware is delighted with FSA's recommendations to OFCOM. OFCOM
itself should be taking more initiative in this area. Indeed action
to address the imbalance of food advertising to children is justified.
The evidence shows that children are being influenced by TV advertising
to consume more unhealthy snacks.
The FSA
Foodaware recommends that FSA investigate aggressive on-line marketing
techniques associated with less healthy foods, drinks and snacks/sweets.
Examples are quizzes and games, and the use of on-line 'pets' which
have to be visited several times a day.
The food industry
Foodaware agrees the FSA's strategy. In particular, we agree that
promotions should encourage children to buy repeat purchases of healthy
options. Sponsorship, celebrities etc. should only be used for healthier
options. The practice of promoting impulse purchases of sweets at
the check-out should be discontinued.
July 2004
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