Will advertisements that encourage children to consume candy be banned? The Ministry of Health is considering promoting regulation that would limit the advertising of harmful foods to children.
According to a report today (Monday) by Nurit Kadosh in Calcalist, a decade after the regulatory committee's conclusions were published, which led to the labeling of harmful foods with red symbols warning of high amounts of sugar, salt, and saturated fat - the Ministry of Health is considering promoting mandatory regulation that would limit advertisements that market harmful foods to children.
According to the report, the major food companies are working, apparently in an attempt to get ahead of the curve, to update their voluntary agreement to limit the advertising of harmful foods to children, even though at the same time they are continuing advertising specifically for children.
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This morning, members of the Food Association are expected to meet to update the Children's Advertising of Harmful Foods Charter. The main change is raising the age of children from 13 to 16 years, meaning that advertising restrictions will apply to children up to the age of 16.
But in the meantime, despite the voluntary agreement, food companies, led by Strauss and Osem, continue with campaigns involving children and publish advertisements with a score that helps children.
According to the report in Calcalist, it appears that the Ministry of Health understood that self-regulation cannot be sufficient in light of the companies' conduct.
Last May, Calcalist reported on the consequences of waiving mandatory regulation: candy manufacturers could not resist the temptation, and returned to advertising to a very young audience - including campaigns for the ultra-Orthodox sector.
Following this, last May, the Forum for Sustainable Nutrition, through attorneys Hagai Kalai, Yael Wiesel and Oz Pinchas, filed a lawsuit against Strauss, Osem and Naga Ice Cream, and requested recognition as a class action on behalf of all minors exposed to advertisements for high-sugar products.
The forum requested that the court order the companies to cease all advertising and marketing of their high-sugar products to minors and to compensate them financially. The first hearing on the request is scheduled for another four months.
The Ministry of Health told Calcalist: "The ministry has begun a professional and in-depth process of examining regulatory measures in the field of harmful food advertising, especially with regard to appeals to children and teenagers. As part of this process, the ministry conducted a literature review and in-depth study of international regulations, including the model accepted in Britain.
""A survey was also conducted that examined the impact of digital advertising on children and teenagers in Israel, with the aim of adapting regulatory tools to contemporary media and not being satisfied with just restricting advertising hours on television and radio. Mandatory regulation is currently being examined that would limit advertising of harmful foods.".
