In doing so, he is implementing an agreement between the governing parties from the coalition agreement. The bill would provide for legal restrictions on advertising of foods containing too much sugar, fat and salt aimed at children.
Advertising ban implements coalition agreement
In the future there will be advertising bans “in all media relevant to children”. In concrete terms, this means that such advertising is not permitted from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. if it can also be regularly seen by children. Children are defined as everyone under the age of fourteen.
“We have to ensure that children can grow up healthier.”
Cem Özdemir, Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture
The ministry specifies that advertising for foods that are too high in sugar, fat or salt is aimed at children if:
Essential content of the bill
Advertising aimed at children in terms of type, content or design for foods with a high sugar, fat or salt content should no longer be permitted if it takes place in media relevant to children, including expressly influencer marketing, or as outdoor advertising.
In addition, advertising for foods with a high sugar, fat or salt content should no longer be permitted if it does not address children in terms of type, content or design, but due to the advertising environment or other context, ie
Sponsorship of foods with a high sugar, fat or salt content aimed at children will no longer be permitted in the future.
WHO defines what is too much sugar, salt or fat
The assessment of a high sugar, fat or salt content should be based on the requirements of the World Health Organization (WHO) nutritional profile model.
According to the ministry, this nutritional profile model was created explicitly to regulate food advertising to children. It divides foods into different categories. Each category has its own maximum values for the content of total fat, saturated fatty acids, total sugar, added sugar, sweeteners, salt and/or energy per 100 g of food. Advertising regulation measures can be linked to compliance with these maximum values.
The WHO model has been introduced at European level, takes scientific findings into account and takes into account the idea that aspects of health, child and consumer protection should take precedence over economic interests. It is tried and tested.
Important exceptions to the upcoming regulation are milk (in terms of fat content) and juices (without added sugar or sweeteners). These should be exempt from the regulation. Further information and an FAQ can be found at the BMEL
What Hans doesn't learn...
The Ministry of Nutrition's draft law is based on the knowledge that advertising to children primarily focuses on unhealthy foods. Nutritional patterns are formed here at a young age, which they will retain throughout their lives, e.g. B. have a negative impact in the form of excess weight.
Children who consume media see an average of 15 commercials every day for foods high in sugar, fat or salt. Media use has increased among 70 percent of 3 to 17 year olds since the beginning of the corona pandemic. On average, 92 percent of the food advertising that children see on the Internet and TV is for products such as fast food, snacks or sweets. Children eat about twice as many sweets and snacks, but only half as much fruit and vegetables as recommended. Around 15 percent of three to seventeen year olds in Germany are overweight, including almost six percent are obese. Current data indicates that the situation has continued to deteriorate since the coronavirus pandemic. For many, this is a significant psychological and physical burden even at a young age.
At the same time, excess weight developed in childhood often remains for a lifetime and increases the risk of developing diet-related diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes mellitus in later phases of life. According to data from the OECD, one in seven deaths in Germany can be attributed to an unhealthy diet. The direct and indirect costs of obesity for society as a whole are estimated at 63 billion euros per year in Germany.
Child protection a milestone for consumer advice centers
The Federal Association of Consumer Organizations describes the draft law as a milestone and hopes that Cem Özdemir will remain “steadfast” and not give in to the expected strong resistance from the food and advertising industries and defuse the draft.
“Advertising regulations for unhealthy foods would be a real breakthrough for greater child protection. There is a social responsibility to ensure that children grow up healthy. For years, leading scientists, a broad alliance of civil society and the majority of consumers have been speaking out in favor of finally protecting children from advertising that is too greasy or sweet. It often comes with cute comics, bears or dinosaurs, but in the end it always tempts children to consume too much sugar, fat or salt.
Other countries show that advertising regulations work. This is not about blanket advertising bans, but about clever regulation. Healthy foods can be promoted at any time. The food and advertising industry needs to ask itself why it is so resistant to advertising healthy foods for children.
It is to be expected that the food and advertising industries will protest against the plans. Because you can obviously make a lot of money by advertising unhealthy foods. Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture Cem Özdemir should remain firm and not water down his ambitious plans. It's good that Minister Özdemir is following the World Health Organization's nutritional criteria for healthy foods, wants to limit advertising for unhealthy foods between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. and is also taking influencer marketing and banned areas around schools, kindergartens and playgrounds into account.
It would be important that the advertising regulations not only apply to children's programs - after all, children also watch prime-time television - for example sports broadcasts.
Ramona Pop, board member of the Federal Association of Consumer Organizations (vzbv)
Source:
Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture , Federal Association of Consumer Organizations
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