Just five food companies were responsible for 80% of pre-watershed advertisements for snacks and confectionery in a study carried out as part of a damning report into the health of the nation’s food industry.
The report, published today by The Food Foundation, claims Haribo, Mars, Mondelez, Pepsico and Kellogg’s dominated the TV ads shown, with the data obtained by researchers from the University of Liverpool, who studied those screened from July to August 2022.
Almost 50% of confectionery and snack adverts during the period were shown between 5.50am and 9pm, during which time children were most likely to be watching TV, the report found.
A ban on HFSS ads before the 9pm watershed is due to come into force in October next year, but The Food Foundation claimed its figures showed children were currently being “relentlessly targeted” by companies.
The Food Foundation also accused the industry of a lack of transparency over the health of their products. The report, called The State of Nation’s Food Industry, found only one in four major UK food businesses has a healthy sales target and discloses data on the healthiness of their sales, and calls for the government to bring in regulation demanding mandatory reporting from food companies on HFSS sales.
Just seven of the 36 major UK food businesses it benchmarked had moved to disclose data or set new targets for increasing sales of healthy and sustainable food since last year.
Restaurant chains and fast food outlets had made no progress since last year, while over half of the options at 30% of major UK restaurant chains serving main meals were high in salt.
The report also claimed ministers have been influenced by heavy food industry lobbying, claiming industry representatives and their trade associations met with Defra ministers 1,377 times between 2020 and 2023, over 40 times more than NGOs met Defra ministers.
“We urgently need the government to introduce regulation to raise standards and create a level playing field that enables progressive businesses to go further, faster,” said Rebecca Tobi, senior business and investor engagement manager at The Food Foundation.
“If we are to have any chance of ensuring the next generation are the healthiest ever – as Labour have pledged – then we simply can’t continue to ignore the major role large food companies are playing in shaping UK diets.
“We need regulation to ensure proper safeguards are in place to make sure businesses act responsibly, supporting people and the planet as well as profit.
“Transparent and honest reporting by businesses on the healthiness and sustainability of their sales is absolutely crucial for identifying what food is being sold and eaten and pointing to areas for improvement. Good data drives good decision making, but both business and policymakers in the UK are flying blind at the moment.”
Baroness Walmsley, chair of the House of Lords Food, Diet and Obesity Committee – which has called for a sweeping clampdown on the food industry including a ban on all forms of HFSS ads – said: “When people are swimming against a tide of availability and advertising of unhealthy food, it is not helpful to tell them to swim harder.
“This report shows just how far the industry needs to move to support everyone to eat well.
“The government should act now to develop a long-term strategy to fix our food system, underpinned by a new legislative framework.
“Without it, businesses have insufficient incentive to act in the public interest and will continue to cause harm with their relentless promotion of junk food.”
However, food industry bosses claimed the industry was investing heavily to make products healthier and wanted to work with ministers to tackle childhood obesity.
“Our industry adheres to all advertising rules, including those which restrict the advertising of less healthy food around children’s media,” said an FDF spokeswoman.
“Companies are also preparing for further regulations that come into effect in October 2025. We’re calling for government and regulators to move swiftly to publish the regulations and industry guidance so that we have sufficient time to prepare.”
FDF figures show its members contributed 33% less salt, 25% fewer sugars and 24% fewer calories to the grocery market compared with 2015.
The spokeswoman added: “Food and drink manufacturers take the issue of obesity and poor diets really seriously and know that we have a key role to play in addressing this. Companies have made significant progress to create healthier options for shoppers, based on government guidelines and the High Fat, Salt and sugar regulations.
“Thanks to substantial investment, FDF members products now contribute far fewer calories, salt and sugar to the British grocery market than they did in 2015.
“The food and drink industry is open to working with government to consider how we can collectively report on progress in a transparent and consistent way, and we recognise that this is important in gaining a better understanding of the food system.
“We believe this would be an important pillar of any new government food strategy and look forward to engaging with government as they develop their approach.”
The FDF also pointed out that the heavy engagement with ministers included the Covid-19 pandemic and the UK’s exit from the EU, which had resulted in increased engagement with the government to discuss “critical” food supply chain issues.
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