Fruit juices face advertising ban in squeeze on sugary drinks

THE vast majority of fruit juices will be banned from advertising aimed at children in a bid to cut down on juvenile obesity, the Government has proposed.

Under new rules, 90 per cent of fruit juices will be deemed too sugary to advertise, with only those highest in fibre and “bits” eligible for promotion.

Only nine per cent are banned at the moment. Fruit juices have not been deemed unhealthy per se, and Public Health England (PHE) still recommends that 150ml diluted and consumed with a meal is acceptable. The proposed new framework reflects growing disquiet around the amount of juice children drink. Some contain more sugar than certain fizzy drinks.

The proportion of milkshakes that can be marketed at children will also be cut from just under three-quarters to 55 per cent as part of a wider strategy to tackle soaring obesity levels.

The measures, which have been published for consultation, were last night welcomed by health campaigners who said they showed the Government was starting to “get real” about the dangers of too much juice.

They come a fortnight ahead of the introduction of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy – dubbed the “sugar tax” – which imposes a tax on sodas, such as some Coca-cola and Pepsi products, containing more than five grams of sugar per 100ml. Fruit juices and milkshakes, however, are exempt.

Under the updated Nutrient Profiling Model, products which receive a negative score are banned from advertising during programming believed to attract an audience comprising 25 per cent or more children. This includes advertisements on all broadcast media, print, social media and in cinemas.

While specific product placement is not necessarily banned within children’s programmes themselves, the depiction of high fat, sugar or salt food or drink must be “editorially justified”, according to Ofcom.

Tam Fry, chair of the National Obesity Forum, said: “The fact that excessive fruit ads may be banned is good news.

“It demonstrates that PHE is starting to get real about the damage that too much juice can do to our children.

“150ml of juice, diluted and consumed with a meal, is acceptable and is recommended to parents in its healthy eating guidance. That should be their lot, so who needs ads?”

The British Soft Drinks Association said the proposed changes would send “mixed messages” because fruit juice is still included as one of the Government-recommended five a day.

Too much sugar is thought to be behind the increasing total of youngsters having teeth removed in hospital, which is around 170 a day.