IPA Claims New Ofcom HFSS Rules Are Flawed

The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) has said that it is disappointed by Ofcom’s decision to extend the restrictions for HFSS advertising aimed at children, claiming the new rules are flawed.

Marina Palomba, IPA’s legal director, said: “The IPA is disappointed but not surprised at Ofcom’s decision to extend the broadcast advertising scheduling restrictions from primary school children to children up to the age of 15.

“However IPA member agencies are already working to comply with the new content and scheduling rules for commercials for foods identified by the Food Standards Agency as ‘bad’, even though the flawed criteria mean that foods such as Marmite get caught by the restrictions.

“The IPA is also dedicated, through its membership of CAP (Committee of Advertising Practice), to introducing similar content restrictions into the non- broadcast media.”

The IPA believes it is time the Government stopped using the advertising industry as a scapegoat. “The advertising industry is, and has been for the past few years, dedicated to helping with the issue of obesity in children, even though it is accepted advertising has a tiny impact on children’s food preferences,” said Palomba.

“Steps to change content rules, change product ingredients and introduce clearer labelling, have all been industry-led. It’s now time emphasis was placed by Government on other more important contributing factors such as lack of exercise and changing behavioural patterns.”

Yesterday, the communications watchdog said that it was appropriate and necessary to adopt restrictions intended to significantly reduce the exposure of children under 16 to HFSS advertising.

The regulator has now completed its review of the long-running debate on the television advertising of junk food to kids, and will now begin to phase in the scheduling restrictions for all channels (see Ofcom To Phase In HFSS Restrictions).

IPA: 020 7235 7020 www.ipa.co.uk