Latest news with #junkfoodban
News.com.au
04-07-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
‘Makes no sense': South Australian ban exposed
Soy milk, rice cakes and ham salad sandwiches aren't usually the first things that come to mind when you think of 'junk food'. Yet, here we are, in the first week of the introduction of the South Australian food and beverage advertising bans on government assets, still debating what has been banned and what has not. Confusion and uncertainty reigns as businesses, the public and even nutritionists are scratching their heads as to why everyday nutritious food and drinks have been caught by the ban and whole groups of food are permitted. Let's look at the facts. Under these new rules, everyday products like some soy milk, oat milk and rice cakes are banned from appearing in advertising on South Australian government assets. This is because these products contain small amounts of added sugar and that is enough to land them on the blacklist. Under the new regime, if any sugar is added, it is banned. That means a number of plain, unflavoured soy milks with only 1 gram (per 100ml) of added sugar cannot be advertised. On the other hand, according to the South Australian Government Implementation Guide, all condiments (including dips), and all jams and spreads are considered acceptable. Ham salad sandwiches were banned. Then they were not – if the ham was incidental to the advertisement. But, you need to submit the advertisement to a departmental panel for approval, creating more unnecessary bureaucratic red tape. Sound confusing? It is. This simply doesn't pass the pub test and is creating confusion and uncertainty for business and the community. We agree with the government that this needs a commonsense approach. The problem is the current approach doesn't make any sense. The fact that we are still having this conversation about which foods are objectively healthy and which are not, points to the flaws in this policy. All the industry is asking for is a credible independent nutritional test that creates certainty about what food and beverages are permitted to be advertised by the South Australian government. The industry is not asking for a free pass. We are asking for a fair go. That is why we are calling on the South Australian Government to adopt the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) Nutrient Profiling Scoring Criteria – a nationally consistent, scientifically rigorous framework – developed by an independent government agency under the Federal Government Department of Health. It is already used by all States and Territories as a credible tool to assess the nutritional value of food. The next step surely is collaboration. The industry, public health experts, and government need to come together to empower Australians to make healthier choices – not through ad bans and confusion, but through smart policy, positive messaging, and evidence-based regulation. The food and beverage industry is already taking steps to help consumers switch to healthier options through product innovation and reformulation. Australia also has some the strictest rules in the world around food and beverage advertising, which effectively ban the advertising of unhealthy food to children, across all advertising and all media, at all times. So here is our ask: pause and review this broken system and replace it with a better one based on nutritional science. Let's work together to promote healthier choices, through clarity, consistency and commonsense without throwing healthy foods under the bus. And let's put an end to policies that confuse the public and businesses and, fail to deliver results. Because if soy milk and rice cakes are the enemies in this fight against obesity, we are targeting the wrong culprits.
News.com.au
01-07-2025
- Health
- News.com.au
Soy milk and rice cakes banned from SA Government ads in new ‘junk food' crackdown
The South Australian Government has come under fire after officially banning advertisements for fortified soy milk and rice cakes on public transport, labelling the household staples as 'junk food'. The policy, which came into effect today, prevents a wide range of food and drink products from being advertised on state-owned assets. While intended as a public health initiative, the inclusion of products often seen as healthy alternatives, such as soy milk and rice cakes, and even ham salad sandwiches has triggered widespread confusion. Fortified soy milk is a plant-based beverage made from soybeans that has been enriched with essential nutrients, such as calcium, vitamin B12, and vitamin D. One of the country's most well-known fortified soy milk brands, So Good, has all its soy milk varieties rated five stars under the Health Star Rating system. Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) CEO Josh Faulks said the decision has left both industry and consumers baffled and called for a more science-based, objective framework. 'We fully support measures that encourage healthier choices, but the implementation of these policies must be based on credible, evidence-based criteria,' Mr Faulks said. 'The government has not been able to clearly articulate what is in and what is out of their banned list and has told businesses to submit their ads to an expert panel for assessment if they are unsure. 'This list should be science-based, objective and create certainty for business, not create more confusion.' He warned the policy could backfire by sending 'a contradictory message to consumers' and undermining trust in health-based campaigns. 'The government is effectively discouraging people from consuming what are widely considered to be nutritious core foods,' he said. To address the growing uncertainty, the AANA has urged the South Australian Government to adopt the Nutrient Profiling Scoring Criteria developed by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), an independent federal agency that guides national food standards. The agency's criteria are already used to inform food labelling and health claims across all Australian states and territories. Mr Faulks also raised concerns about the policy's potential economic fallout. 'The oat and almond farmers in South Australia may be surprised to know that their government wants people to drink less oat and almond milk,' he said. 'The official policy objective is to drive down purchase and consumption of these products.'
Fox News
11-06-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Trump admin approves waivers for 3 states to ban soda, other junk food from public food programs
Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins signed waivers with three states on Tuesday, allowing them to prohibit participants of the government's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) from buying junk food, like soda and candy, through the social welfare program. Arkansas, Idaho and Utah became the latest states to obtain waivers from the federal government to begin banning junk food within the federally administered, but state-operated, public assistance program that provides food stamps to low-income individuals. The three states have become the latest to obtain waivers from the Trump administration that allow states to restrict what type of food SNAP funds are eligible to be used on. Other mostly GOP-led states, like Nebraska, Indiana and Iowa, have also obtained waivers to reform their SNAP programs. Last month, during a Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) event at the White House, Rollins indicated that several states were lining up to get the waivers. "Since my confirmation, [the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)] has encouraged states to think differently and creatively about how to solve the many health issues facing Americans," Rollins said at a press conference announcing the new waivers Tuesday afternoon. "One way is disallowing taxpayer-funded benefits to purchase unhealthy items, like soda, candy and other junk food." Tuesday's waivers bring the total number of states that have moved to ban junk food from their SNAP programs to six. Rollins indicated several other states, including Colorado, Kansas, West Virginia, Texas, Ohio, Florida and Louisiana, are also working through procedural steps in hopes of getting waivers approved. Texas, however, may not even need the waiver after its legislature passed Senate Bill 379 during the last week of its legislative session that ended on June 2. The new bill, which prohibits SNAP participants in the state from using the public assistance program to buy junk food, is expected to be signed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, especially after he wrote a letter to Rollins in May seeking a USDA waiver. "The Trump Administration is unified in improving the health of our nation. America's governors have proudly answered the call to innovate by improving nutrition programs, ensuring better choices while respecting the generosity of the American taxpayer," Rollins added Tuesday. "Each waiver submitted by the states and signed is yet another step closer to fulfilling President [Donald] Trump's promise to Make America Healthy Again." On average, 42 million low-income Americans receive food-stamp assistance each month, according to the MAHA report released last month. It added that one-in-five American children under 17 receive SNAP benefits.
Fox News
22-05-2025
- Health
- Fox News
'Half a dozen' more states to ban soda, junk food purchases with food stamps, Trump Agriculture secretary says
Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said during a Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) event Thursday that the Trump administration is making history with its approval of numerous waivers that will eliminate junk food from food stamp programs. Rollins was in Nebraska on Monday to sign the first alongside Republican Gov. Jim Pillen. She has also signed a waiver for Indiana and Iowa, "with half-a-dozen more coming down the line," she said. "We are on track to sign multiples of snap waivers to get junk food and sugary drinks out of our food stamp system," Rollins said at the Thursday afternoon event, centering around the release of a 69-page report from the Trump administration's MAHA Commission on how to effect change around childhood chronic disease. "That has never happened before under Republican or Democrat administrations," Rollins added. "We have never made that happen before. So I am so proud and so grateful." On average, 42 million low-income Americans receive food stamp assistance each month, according to the MAHA report released at Thursday's event. It added that 1 in 5 American children under 17 receive SNAP benefits. With Nebraska's waiver, it became the first state in the nation to bar recipients of federal food stamp programs from using the money to buy junk food, soda and other high-sugar items. The exemption will begin as a two-year pilot program, local media reported. Other GOP-led states, including Texas and West Virginia, have applied for this waiver. "SNAP was created to increase access to nutritious food; however, many SNAP purchases are for food with little to no nutritious value," Texas GOP Governor Greg Abbott wrote in a letter to Rollins requesting a waiver last week. "Under the Trump administration, for the first time since the program was authorized, states can take steps to eliminate the opportunity to buy junk food with SNAP benefits and assure that taxpayer dollars are used only to purchase healthy, nutritious food." West Virginia's Governor Patrick Morrisey, one of the leaders requesting a waiver, has also been spearheading other MAHA efforts in his state. In March, Morrisey signed House Bill 2354 into law, which made it the first state in the nation to begin prohibiting certain synthetic dyes and additives used in food items sold in the state.
Daily Mail
14-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
No more ham sandwiches! Aussie state moves forward with ban on public transport - and that's not the only thing on the list
South Australia will ban advertisements of ham sandwiches on public transport in a bid to tackle childhood and adult obesity. Set to be enforced from July 1, the ban will remove items which are considered as junk food from being advertised on Adelaide 's buses, trains and trams. The items include processed meats, including ham, as well as any images of lollies, chocolate, desserts, soft drinks, chips, ice creams and other confectionary products Removing the advetisement's is a measured strike designed to limit the state's children from being exposed to unhealthy food and drink advertising. However, leading marketing industry body Australian Association of National Advertising (AANA) has criticised the move, claiming the 'blanket ban' was drastic and unjustified. 'As it stands, this policy bans all processed meats, which means a simple ham salad sandwich can't be advertised.' AANA CEO Josh Faulks told Newswire. 'This simply doesn't make sense and the government should be making evidence-based decisions, not blanket bans that don't align with nutritional science.' Mr Faulks warned the policy, if it comes into effect, would have a negative impact on charities and businesses as it would prohibit all ads showing the banned products. He said the AANA opposed all advertising bans for food and beverages, with the peak body urging the state government to adopt a 'science-based approach'. Under a science-based approach, a nutrient profiling scoring criteria would be used to determine which foods should be restricted from being advertised, he explained. Mr Faulks said under the ban an ad showing a birthday cake celebrating the anniversary of a children's charity would be banned. He added, even events like Tasting Australia would not be allowed to show any images of charcuterie boards or pastries in any advertisements. Government figures show some 35 per cent of children and 63 per cent of adults in South Australia are overweight or obese. Health Minister Chris Picton hit out at the AANA's stance, claiming the body was 'scaremongering'. Mr Picton said the body was providing misinformation about the policy and that it did not have the authority to decide what was displayed on public transport. 'These lobbyists want to force the State Government to keep having junk food ads on our own buses amidst an obesity crisis,' Mr Picton said. 'The policy applies to government-owned Adelaide Metro buses, trains and trams. It is not up to advertising industry lobbyists to tell us what can be displayed on our public transport assets.' Mr Picton added the children are bombarded with unhealthy food and drink ads, which has been long recognised as having a negative impact on their diets. it's understood Mr Faulks claim that Tasting Australia ads could be banned is false, as the items on a charcuterie board would appear as 'incidental' and 'unbranded'. Under the proposed policy, ads that feature incidental food or drink items that are unbranded and generic would be permitted even if the items are considered as unhealthy. The ban has also been backed by a number of organisations including Preventative Health SA and the Cancer Council. In 2022, Cancer Council warned parents to stop putting cold, processed meats in their children's school sandwiches as there was a link between the food items and an increased risk of bowel and stomach cancer. The Australian Dietary Guidelines labelled the foods as 'discretionary' - like cakes and biscuits - and therefore advised processed meats should be eaten occasionally.
