The UK Government plans to give the proposed new Food Standards Agency (FSA) powers to rule on nutritional issues and become the main source of public advice about nutrition. A white paper on the FSA is expected by the end of the year, with a draft bill being proposed in March or April 1998. The… Continue reading UK: Food Agency To Have Wide Remit
Mr Jeff Rooker, minister for food safety, has said that the government will ban slimming products from April 1999 unless they meet new labelling and advertising rules designed to prevent false claims. Labels will have to list information such as calories, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals, as well as warnings of possible side effects and… Continue reading UK: Threat Of Ban On Slimming Foods
At last week’s Labour Party conference Mr Frank Dobson, UK secretary of state for health, promised party delegates that “we’ll ban tobacco advertising”. Meanwhile the British-based advertising agency Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO has started working on behalf of the anti-smoking lobbying group Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) to study the loopholes that might emerge… Continue reading UK: Ban Campaign Mobilises
The Commission is today debating a couple of key infringement cases under Article 169 relating to the German Premiums law, the Zugabeverardung and the equivalent Belgian legislation. These laws restrict the use of premiums including Air Miles and American Express (who brought the complaints). These companies offer their card-holders a bonus in the form of… Continue reading EU: Incentive Promotions Infringements
The international advertising network Omnicom have bought the company responsible for British Airways’ new corporate logo, Newell & Sorrell. The Newell & Sorrell design consultancy is to merge with Omnicom’s wholly-owned subsidiary Interbrand UK to create Interbrand Newell & Sorrell (INS). John Sorrell, currently chairman at Newell & Sorrell will become chairman of the new… Continue reading Omnicom Buy Newell & Sorrell
A new policy report from the UK Consumers’ Association – Communications Regulation; making the right connections – proposes a rationalisation of the current regulatory framework for the communications industry as a whole in the UK. It calls for a single regulator that would merge the functions of the ITC, Oftel, the Radio Authority and (possibly)… Continue reading UK: CA Wants Single Regulatory Body
BSkyB has said that it will not be allowing ITV to show the crucial England v Italy World Cup qualifying match live on Saturday. Instead, ITV will be showing an unedited recording of the game at 10pm. The Football Association had put pressure on Sky Sports to allow live coverage of the game to be… Continue reading No Live England Game For ITV
The September Retail Price Index was announced this morning as 159.3, an increase of 0.5% on the previous month and a rise of 3.6% on September 1996.Subscribers can access RPI trends by selecting “Encyclomedia” from the drop-down box at the top of this page.
The Swedish government in conjunction with the Komsumentverket, the Swedish national board of consumer policy, are seeking the removal of alcohol advertisements by the state alcohol company Vin & Spirit from the Internet. Legal action is expected to be taken by the two state bodies against Vin & Spirit to enforce the demand. Vin &… Continue reading SWE: New Conflict Brewing
The French Spirits Federation has reported that, for the first time ever, sales of whisky in France have outstripped those of aniseed-based spirits. The Federation says that this is due to the Loi Evin’s ban on most types of alcoholic beverage advertising, which has given internationally-recognised brands, it says, a major advantage over local brands.
