Despite new British regulations, ads for unhealthy foods are still on TV screens write Josie Clarkeand Michael Kelly
NEW RULES in Britain are failing to stop adverts for unhealthy food screening during some of the most popular children's programmes, according to consumer magazine Which?. None of the programmes with the five highest child audiences and just four of the top 20 most popular children's shows are covered by restrictions imposed by British regulator Ofcom in January, according to the magazine.
Ads for foods that are high in fat, salt and sugar are still being shown during the programmes most watched by children, it said. Since January, ads for foods deemed "less healthy" by the Food Standards Agency's (FSA) nutrient profiling model have not been allowed to screen in or around programmes deemed "of particular appeal" to under-16s.
A programme is defined as being of particular appeal to children if the proportion of children under-16 watching a programme is 20 per cent higher than the general viewing population.
The rule means programmes such as The Simpsons and SpongeBob SquarePants are covered, while shows such as Beat the Star, Animals Do The Funniest Things and Emmerdale are not, even though they are watched by thousands more children, according to Which?.
The watchdog said a two-week analysis found ads for products including Coca-Cola, Oreos and Kellogg's Coco Pops were broadcast during programmes popular with children, but not covered by the restrictions.
ITV's Beat the Star attracted more than half a million child viewers during the monitoring period, but contained ads for Coca-Cola, Dairylea Dunkers Nachos and Sprite.
The British government has asked Ofcom to review how well the restrictions are working, saying it will decide if they need to be strengthened, based on the findings. Ofcom is expected to release the results of its review in December.
The FSA is also reviewing its nutrient profiling model to see how it is performing.
Which? food campaigner Clare Corbett says: "The ad restrictions may look good on paper, but the reality is that the programmes most popular with children are slipping through the net.
"If these rules are going to be effective, then they have to apply to the programmes that children watch in the greatest numbers.
"Once the Ofcom review is finished, the government has a great opportunity to update the restrictions so that they stop children from being exposed to ads for unhealthy foods."
While Ofcom grapples with implementation issues, the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) is still reviewing the Children's Advertising code, despite long-standing calls from consumer groups for the immediate implementation of a similar ban. The Broadcasting Bill 2008 introduced by Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources Eamon Ryan in May contains a proposal to examine the desirability of such a ban.
The relevant text in the Bill, which has yet to be enacted by the Oireachtas, says that a new broadcasting code may prohibit the advertising "of foods and beverages considered by the authority to be the subject of public concern in respect of the general public health interests of children, in particular those which contain fat, trans-fatty acids, salts or sugars".
The BCI recently completed a statutory review of the advertising code and will present this review to the Minister in the coming weeks, according to Broadcasting Standards Officer, Declan McLoughlin. A second-stage review aimed at examining the effect of changes to the code will take place next year, although the nature and timeframe of this review has yet to be established.