Former chancellor of the exchequer George Osborne has been left “disappointed” by the government’s decision to delay a pre-watershed ban on TV advertising for products high in fat, salt or sugar (HFSS).
Speaking on the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Tuesday, Osborne said that the policy would be “a good thing”, however this has been pushed back to 2025.
The policy which would ban marketing on products deemed ‘unhealthy’ before 9pm was origionally meant to roll out from next month, alongside restrictions to multibuy deals in supermarkets such as ‘but one, get one free’.
This comes following legislation which rolled out on 1 October, banning HFSS products from store entrances, gondola ends and checkouts across supermarkets and convenience stores.
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Osborne said: “As someone who’s a member of the Conservative Party, Conservatives should not be afraid of sensible use of government to improve people’s health because by the way that also reduces dependency on public services down the road.”
A departnement of health and social care spokesperson told Retail Week: “The government takes tackling obesity seriously.
“Having a fit and healthy population is essential for a thriving economy and we will continue to work closely with industry to make it easier for people to make healthier choices.
“We remain committed to introducing restrictions banning adverts on TV for foods and drinks high in fat, salt, or sugar before 9pm, as well as paid-for adverts online.”
Earlier this month, Tesco partnered with retailers and suppliers to call on the government to take “meaningful” action to cut childhood obesity.
The statement called for a limit of marketing exposure on HFSS products, as well as mandatory labelling in stores to support healthier alternatives.
