The UK Government has sent a warning shot across the bows of the food industry by launching an advertising campaign to highlight hidden levels of salt, sugar and fat in products.
The government’s Change4Life scheme, which includes many branded food producers as sponsors, will “takeover” a television advertising slot during peak evening viewing on the ITV channel today (7 January).
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Ads are expected to show that a bottle of cola contains an average 17 sugar cubes, and that a deep-pan, large pizza contains a wine glass-worth of fat.
News of the advertising campaign comes as the government faces fresh pressure to take a tougher stance with the food industry, amid figures showing that obesity costs the UK’s National Health Service GBP5bn (US$8bn) per year. A newly-released study also shows consumers generally have poor knowledge about the foods they eat.
Alongside revealing “hidden nasties” in some foods, the Change4Life advertising campaign will offer menu ideas for healthier lifestyles. “We have worked closely with partner organisations including Asda fresh fish and Uncle Ben’s rice to highlight how easy it is to eat well on a budget,” said the Department of Health’s marketing director, Sheila Mitchell.
“The [ad slot] takeover closes with a reminder to sign up to Change4Life to receive a free meal mixer,” she added.
Public health minister Anna Soubry praised the Change4Life for helping a million mums to change their behaviour. “But England has one of the highest rates of obesity in Europe with over 60% of adults and a third of 10 and 11 year olds overweight or obese,” she said.
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By GlobalDataThere is a burgeoning row between the main political parties in the UK on how hard to push the food industry, in order to address poor diets.
Over the weekend, the main opposition party’s shadow health minister called for legal limits on the amount of fat, salt and sugar in foods aimed at children. For now, however, the Coalition government remains committed to a voluntary approach via its Responsibility Deal with industry.
