- South Australia Plans Ban on Ads for Unhealthy Foods
- A ban would lead to advertisements being taken down from public transportation.
- Items such as processed meats and sweets are included in the foods category.
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South Australia plans to prohibit ads for ham sandwiches on public transport as part of an effort to address both childhood and adult obesity.
The prohibition, set to take effect starting July 1, aims to eliminate advertisements for foods deemed unhealthy or "junk food." Adelaide 'S buses, trains, and trams.
The list encompasses processed meats such as ham along with any depictions of candies, chocolates, sweets, carbonated beverages, potato chips, ice creams, and other sugary treats.
Eliminating advertisements is a calculated move aimed at reducing children’s exposure to unhealthy food and beverage ads by the state.
Nevertheless, the Australian Association of National Advertising (AANA), a prominent body in the marketing sector, has condemned this action, arguing that the 'complete prohibition' was excessive and unwarranted.
'According to current regulations, this policy prohibits all types of processed meats, making it impossible to advertise something as basic as a ham salad sandwich,' stated AANA CEO Josh Faulks. Newswire .
This just doesn’t add up, and the government ought to focus on choices backed by scientific proof rather than across-the-board restrictions that contradict nutritional research.
Mr Faulks cautioned that should this policy be implemented, it could adversely affect both charities and businesses since it would disallow advertisements for the prohibited items entirely.
He stated that the AANA was against any restrictions on advertisements for food and drinks, with the organization calling on the state government to follow a scientifically grounded method instead.
Using a scientifically grounded method, a nutrient profile scoring system would be implemented to decide which food items should be prohibited from advertisements, as he outlined.
Mr Faulks stated that according to the ban, an advertisement featuring a birthday cake marking the anniversary of a children's charity would not be allowed.
He mentioned that even events such as Tasting Australia wouldn’t be permitted to display pictures of charcuterie boards or pastries in their ads.
According to government data, approximately 35 percent of children and 63 percent of adults in South Australia are considered overweight or obese.
Health Minister Chris Picton criticized the AANA's position, accusing them of 'fearmongering.'
Mr Picton stated that the organization was disseminating incorrect information regarding the policy and that it lacked the jurisdiction to determine what appeared on public transportation.
"These lobbyists are trying to compel the State Government to continue running advertisements for unhealthy foods on our buses during this obesity epidemic," Mr Picton stated.
The policy covers government-operated Adelaide Metro buses, trains, and trams. Deciding what appears on our public transportation systems should not be left to advertising industry advocates.
Mr Picton pointed out that the children are inundated with advertisements for unhealthy foods and beverages, a issue widely acknowledged to adversely affect their eating habits.
It’s clear that Mr Faulks’ assertion claiming Tasting Australia advertisements might be prohibited is incorrect, since the elements on a charcuterie board would seem ‘casual’ and ‘not branded’.
According to the suggested policy, advertisements containing minor appearances of non-branded and general food or beverage products that are deemed unhealthy would still be allowed.
The prohibition has similarly received support from several groups such as Preventive Health SA and the Cancer Council.
In 2022, the Cancer Council advised parents against including cold, processed meats in their kids' school lunches due to evidence linking these foods with a higher chance of developing bowel and stomach cancers.
According to the Australian Dietary Guidelines, items such as cakes and biscuits are categorized as 'discretionary.' Consequently, they recommend that processed meats should only be consumed sporadically.
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