Food marketing

Food companies are bombarding Australian children with manipulative advertising. It is all around, in popular television shows, on outdoor signs, through sports sponsorship and everywhere they click online.

Most food marketing is for unhealthy products, such as sugary breakfast cereals, fast food and sugary drinks. Junk food ads influence the food children like, ask for and eat, impacting the quality of their diet.

Cancer Council NSW carries out research and advocacy calling for governments to implement independent regulation to protect children from exposure to the marketing of unhealthy foods.

We recommend:

• Comprehensive government regulation to protect children from exposure to unhealthy food marketing, particularly online and on television before 9:30 pm.
• State and local government policy to exclude unhealthy food and drink advertising on outdoor property, including public transport. Read more in our joint statement on protecting children from unhealthy food marketing.
• Define children as those under 18 years in regulation.
• Use the Australian Health Council guide to define food and drink categories that cannot be promoted.
• Regular monitoring and enforcement (including sanctions) of policies and regulation.