Unhealthy eating is popular, but it promotes overweight and obesity. Advertising aimed at children is now to be severely restricted. Voluntary self-regulation has failed so far, says Food Minister Özdemir. However, there should be exceptions for the 2024 European Football Championship.
Federal Food Minister Cem Özdemir wants to ban advertising aimed at children for products with a very high sugar, salt or fat content. 15 percent of three to seven-year-olds in Germany are overweight, six percent are obese, said the Green politician in Berlin. Advertising for foods with too much fat, sugar and salt has a demonstrable influence on children's eating habits: "Why do we allow children to see an average of 15 commercials for sugar bombs, salty and greasy snacks every day?" He will now coordinate the plans with the coalition partners SPD and FDP: "It is perfectly clear to me that I have to reckon with a headwind."
Corresponding advertising should no longer be allowed if it is aimed specifically at children under the age of 14. "We are not making a general advertising ban," emphasized Özdemir. "Crisps and chocolate can also continue to be advertised." Advertising for it remains possible if it is not aimed at children. In his view, Özdemir is thus implementing an agreement from the coalition agreement. "In the future, there will no longer be any advertising for food with a high sugar, fat and salt content aimed at children in programs and formats for under 14s," the traffic light coalition had agreed at the end of 2021.
The minister underlined that no food would be banned: "Everyone can eat what he or she wants." The yardstick for which products the advertising ban applies to should be the nutritional profiles of the World Health Organization (WHO). His ministry gave breakfast cereals as an example. According to the WHO, these should contain no more than 10 grams of fat, no more than 15 grams of sugar and no more than 1.6 grams of salt. There are products that meet this profile, but there are also many that do not.
"The regulation includes all media relevant to children, including the Internet, such as influencer marketing," said Özdemir. However, not only relevant advertising directly addressed to children is to be banned, but also advertising in the context of, for example, sports and family programs between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. if it is consciously accepted that it is regularly noticed by children in particular.
Advertising for the 2024 European Football Championship should not be affected. It will certainly be said "here and there that Özdemir is crazy, the contracts for Euro24 have long been signed," said the minister. However, there will be a transitional period of two years after the law comes into force. When the law will come into force is still unclear. "I am now anything but a ban fanatic," said Özdemir. "But we are talking about an issue here in which clear rules are essential." Voluntary commitments have demonstrably failed to protect children. He relies on the willingness of the food industry to improve their recipes with lower sugar, salt and fat values.
The German Children's Fund welcomed the project, the organization Foodwatch spoke of a "milestone in the fight against malnutrition and obesity". Praise also comes from the German Society for Child and Adolescent Medicine. The German Obesity Society said Özdemir had "made a big hit". Childhood obesity is a major health problem and unhealthy advertising is a key factor. The German Alliance for Non-Communicable Diseases (DANK), Foodwatch, the Federation of Consumer Organizations and the WWF all spoke of a "milestone" in the fight against obesity and for children's health.
FDP agricultural expert Gero Hocker announced resistance. Özdemir "will not find a majority" within the traffic lights. Özdemir is apparently pursuing the goal of "making every underage child into an underage citizen". SPD leader Saskia Esken was initially reluctant. Advertisements shouldn't be "misleading" about the health effects of advertised products, she said. But "I think it's still up to parents to protect children from unhealthy foods."
Criticism came from the opposition in the Bundestag. Union faction deputy Steffen Bilger told the "Rheinische Post": "Özdemir paves the way for dirigisme, bureaucracy and state paternalism."
