Britain’s least healthy processed foods should come with warning labels similar to tobacco and have a ban on marketing to young children, according to an expert.
Chris van Tulleken, an infectious disease physician and author of “Ultra-Processed People,” said current food labeling systems are “ineffective” and “misleading” to consumers.
Instead, it recommends placing specific warning labels on foods high in salt, fat, sugar or calories.
This would include soda, candy, all salty and sugary snacks, and lots of breakfast cereals.
And it argues that manufacturers should not be allowed to market these products to children, use cartoon characters in advertising or make health claims about them.
The current food labeling system includes the traffic light scheme that uses green, amber and red colors to indicate how a food qualifies according to certain dietary guidelines.
However, critics argue that there are no strict regulations regarding its use, it may not accurately reflect the overall nutrient content of a product, and there may be a general lack of understanding by the public about what it means.
There are also some advertising restrictions aimed at foods that are “high in fat, salt and sugar”, but these can be circumvented if a product has other qualities, such as containing vegetables or protein.
Chris van Tulleken (pictured), infectious disease doctor and author of ‘Ultra-Processed People’, said current food labeling systems are ‘ineffective’ and ‘misleading’ to consumers.
A collection of ultra-processed foods. Unhealthier British foods should come with warning labels similar to those on tobacco and be banned from marketing to young children, according to an expert.
“Traffic lights are misleading,” said Dr. van Tulleken. ‘They are voluntary, unrelated to any national dietary guidance and are not effective.
‘Manufacturers can stick three green traffic lights on the side of sugar-sweetened cola, making it look 75 percent healthy.
‘These traffic lights and HFSS advertising regulations have been in use for over a decade and during that time we have seen a steady increase in rates of diet-related illnesses in children and adults.
“Then they don’t work.”
While it does not ask for images of cancer patients on packages (as they sometimes appear on cigarette boxes), it advocates a system similar to that used in South America, specifically Chile and Mexico, where black octagon symbols can be seen adorning the front of the cigarettes. certain food packages.
These warning symbols mean that the product contains “excess” sugar, calories, salt, or saturated fat.
“Once a product has a black octagon, it can’t have a cartoon character, it can’t have a health claim, it can’t be marketed to a child,” Dr. van Tulleken said.
‘It cannot be sold in a school or a hospital. It cannot be served in a prison.
Dr van Tulleken has also argued that a sugar tax (which has already been applied to sugary drinks) should also apply to sweets.
Chicken nuggets and fries (file image). The Labor Party’s recently announced ban on junk food advertising means that from October next year it will be illegal to advertise “less healthy” foods and drinks on television before 9pm and online anywhere. moment.
“We’re probably headed toward the octagons. Unless we start with an approach that takes this view, we will get nowhere.
“The approach should be to say, ‘We have a terrible crisis, an emergency that needs a solution, and we need to think about radical solutions.’
‘Until we think about regulating the industry, we won’t see massive change.
“These regulations should be carefully introduced in a way that allows the industry to reformulate products and adapt them to dietary guidelines.”
He also argued that a sugar tax, which has already been applied to sugary drinks, should also be applied to sweets.
A ban on junk food advertising, recently announced by the Labor Party, means that from October next year it will be illegal to advertise “less healthy” foods and drinks on television before ninepm and online anywhere. moment.
However, the government’s own impact assessment found that it is likely to cut just two calories a day from children’s diets, equivalent to less than a tenth of a Jelly Baby, and critics have pointed out that the ban It covers porridge and buns, but not greasy sausage rolls. and cakes.
A recent study revealed that young children in the UK get almost half their daily calories from ultra-processed foods (UPF), a figure which rises to 59 per cent by the age of seven.
Dr van Tulleken’s comments come ahead of the Royal Institution’s Christmas lectures, which it will host this year. During the conferences, aimed at young people aged 11 to 17, the importance of our intestinal microbiome will be explored.
Researchers at University College London have warned that highly processed foods, which often contain excessive amounts of salt and sugar, are often cheaper than fruits and vegetables.
The analysis revealed that the most common UPFs consumed by 21-month-old toddlers were flavored yogurts and whole-grain breakfast cereals.
Meanwhile, among seven-year-old children the most common were sweet cereals, white bread and desserts.
Dr van Tulleken’s comments come ahead of the Royal Institution’s Christmas lectures, which it will host this year.
During the lectures, aimed at young people aged 11 to 17, you will explore the importance of our gut microbiome (the “good” and “bad” bacteria that are present in our intestine) and how what we eat has shaped our evolution.
The conferences will be broadcast on BBC4 and iPlayer at 9pm on 29, 30 and 31 December.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokeswoman said: ‘Every child deserves a healthy and happy start to life.
‘This Government is taking action now to end junk food adverts aimed at children, both on television and online. This is the first step in achieving a major shift in the focus of health care from disease to prevention through our 10-year Health Plan.
‘We are also limiting children’s access to fast food, giving local authorities powers to block requests for unhealthy takeaways near schools and reviewing the Soft Drinks Industry Levy to ensure it remains effective in fights obesity and other damage caused by high sugar consumption. ‘
A fast food worker in a chicken shop (file image). Researchers at University College London have warned that highly processed foods, which often contain excessive amounts of salt and sugar, are often cheaper than fruits and vegetables.
A spokeswoman for the Food and Drink Federation said: “Food and drink manufacturers have a legal obligation to provide accurate nutritional information on their packaging.
‘The UK traffic light system is the government’s recommended approach to helping people understand what is in their food and is based on criteria set by the government.
‘The traffic light system provides clear information about what is a ‘high’ level of certain nutrients, such as fat, salt and sugar, as well as what is ‘low’.
‘Research shows that color-coded systems are the most effective design for nutrition labels. However, given that the current traffic light system was introduced 20 years ago, we would support a government review of the latest evidence on how nutrition labeling can better help shoppers make healthier choices.’