Professor Christina Vogel from the Centre for Food Policy comments on the announcement
By Mr George Wigmore (Senior Communications Officer), Published
The government have announced that junk food TV adverts are to be banned from airing before the 9pm watershed from 1 October 2025 as part of a concerted move to improve public health in the UK.
Andrew Gwynne, the public health minister, also told the Commons that they will ban online ads for HFSS food, which are high in fat, salt and sugar.
Responding to the announcement, Professor Christina Vogel, Director of the Centre for Food Policy at City St George’s, University of London and an expert in the area, said:
“However, it’s critical that the government now sets a clear timeline for implementing the revised Nutrient Profile Model, which accounts for updates to our national dietary guidelines, particularly on reducing free sugars and increasing fibre intake. While it’s encouraging to see action on product reformulation from industry, we need our standards for healthy products to continue to nudge forward to more closely reflect the government’s current dietary recommendations.
“Equally important is the need for robust enforcement mechanisms. Ensuring compliance across all in-scope companies is vital for these regulations to have the desired impact for all children. Existing inconsistencies in the enforcement of regulations, such as the Food (Promotion and Placement) Regulations and calorie labelling laws, show that without adequate resources and oversight, the effectiveness of these measures could be compromised. Strong enforcement will be key to making these policies work.”
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