The objective is to reduce childhood and youth obesity in the country and improve the quality of life of new generations, but the Government has encountered opposition from a large part of the food industry.
Norway is about to enact one of the Europe’s most comprehensive bans about the junk food advertising aimed at children and adolescents, after a similar initiative by United Kingdom and smaller ones in other countries.
Since 2013, food manufacturers and suppliers in the Nordic country voluntarily restrict this type of advertising to children under 13 years of age, but the new plan would make it mandatory.
The rule would completely prohibit junk food advertisements such as sweets, ice cream and soft drinks, and would rely on ‘nutrient thresholds’ to identify less healthy offerings in other food categories, such as yogurts and cereals with high sugar content. In addition, high fines would be imposed in case of violation.
Support children’s health
The plan would also raise the ban’s age threshold to 18, to the satisfaction of consumer advocates and food industry dismay and Norwegian drinks. The public has until the end of November to give their opinion on the rule, which the Norwegian government presents as a form of support children’s health and stop social inequalities.
“Unhealthy foods and drinks make up a large part of the diseases in the general population,” he told Euronews Health. Deputy Minister of Health, Usman Ahmad Mushtaq. “The intention is that the ban will reduce pressure on both parents and young people themselves to prevent them from making unhealthy decisions.”
The childhood obesity is associated with several health problems in later stages of life, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, chronic liver disease, joint conditions and lower fertility. Between 15% and 21% of Norwegian children have overweight or obesecompared to about 30% across Europe and parts of Central Asia.
Few countries have restricted junk food ads targeted at children, so there isn’t much evidence yet that they actually curb childhood obesity. But research does show that unhealthy food advertising affects your preferences, purchases and eating habits, contributing to poor diets and weight-related problems.
The limits of self-regulation
Industry self-regulation is the ‘status quo’ across Europe. About two dozen companies have agreed not to advertise foods that do not meet the standards. nutritional standards aimed at children under 13 years of age in the European Unionin what they call the ‘EU commitment’.
But there are gaps, according to a 2021 report from the European Consumer Organization (BEUC) which suggests that nutritional criteria give a lot of margin for food and beverage companies to market apparently unhealthy products to young people.
That’s the approach you’re taking. Norwayalthough Mushtaq said their nutrient thresholds will likely be similar to industry-defined categories used in their self-regulation system.
Fines for violation could amount to 4% of the company’s annual revenue, according to Mushtaq. It’s still not clear how possible violations will be controlled nor if companies will have a grace period before being fined. “Each case will be different,” Mushtaq said.
Norway’s proposal could change
The details of the ban will be finalized in the coming weeks, and the country’s main business lobby group, the Confederation of Norwegian Businesswill push for changes, according to Petter Haas Brubakk, who heads its food and drinks.
The main concern of Haas Brubakk is that the age limit be raised to 18 years. Haas Brubakk wonders how it will identify the Ministry of Health advertising aimed at 18-year-olds versus that aimed at 17-year-olds, for example.
They are also concerned that the rule puts Norwegian companies at a disadvantage compared to its foreign competitors. When Norway increased taxes on chocolate and the confectionery in 2018, sent buyers across the border to Sweden.
Supporters of advertising regulation are also disagree with the minimum age of 18 yearsbut they want it to be expanded rather than deleted.
ADVERTISINGKathryn Backholer, professor of public health policy at Deakin University in Australiapointed to the UK’s “age-skeptic” model, which will ban junk food ads during prime-time TV, rather than just restricting ads around children’s programming when it comes into force in 2025.
Shortcomings of the Norwegian plan
Another problem with the Norwegian plan, in Backholer’s opinion, is that food brands could followadvertising yourself using your company name or logo, as long as they do not promote a specific item considered unhealthy.
“No country in the world is addressing this issue because noor is there a good definition of what is healthy and what is not,” Backholer told ‘Euronews Health’.
Online restrictions and other practices
British regulations are considered the strictest in Europe. In addition to prime time restrictions, it will completely ban online marketing of unhealthy foods, including online gamesvery popular among young people.
ADVERTISINGThese restrictions are essential for public health advocates because of the influence that social media creators have on children and because companies can send highly personalized ads to their target audience.
Other European countries have taken measures in this regard, but they have not been as extensive. For example, since 2019, Portugal has restricted the advertising of unhealthy foods on television or radio when at least a quarter of the audience is made up of children under 16 years of age. officials of Spain and Germany They have also called for bans on children’s advertising in recent years.
In 2023, an EU working group recommended that Member States will adopt restrictions on all platforms and to raise the age threshold to 18 years, but EU legislators have not yet taken action. “It’s very important to have these kinds of good practices,” says Calvert. “It’s a matter of policymakers listening to the scientific evidence.”
Calvert is also in favor of include mandatory nutritional labels on food packaging and limit snack promotion unhealthy behaviors in grocery stores and other retailers, such as placing candy bars next to checkout aisles.
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