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Minister of State for Health Promotion Catherine Byrne Leah Farrell via Rolling News

Mixed reactions over new voluntary codes to restrict advertising of 'high fat sugar salt' foods

Sinn Féin’s Lynn Boylan hit out at the voluntary nature of the Codes, saying Ireland needs “mandatory legislation”.

NEW VOLUNTARY CODES of Practice for the advertising and marketing of food and non-alcoholic drinks have received a string of mixed reactions today.

The new Codes, which have been agreed with the food industry and apply to non-broadcast media, aim to ensure that foods high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) are marketed in a responsible way.

The Department of Health said that the Codes seek to ensure that children are not exposed to inappropriate marketing, advertising or sponsorship associated with these kinds of foods and drink products and that healthier food choices are actively promoted.

The Codes, launched by Minister of State for Health Promotion Catherine Byrne, include an agreement on the reduction of advertising, marketing and sponsorship of HFSS.

Retail Ireland has also agreed to increase its promotion – via product placement and in-store promotions – of healthier options.

The initiative is a government response to the rise in obesity levels in Ireland, and is part of the National Obesity Policy and Action Plan.

Minister Byrne said the purpose of the Codes is to “reduce the exposure of children to unhealthy foods” and “to moderate the exposure of the general population to foods high in HFSS”.

“These Codes of Practice represent an opportunity to discourage unhealthy food consumption choices and patterns which can contribute to ill health, overweight and obesity, and chronic disease,” she said.

Reactions

Some concern has been raised about the voluntary nature of the new Codes.

Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan hit out at the Department of Health, claiming that the voluntary model has “already failed in every country it has been tried in”.

“Ireland cannot afford to waste more time implementing failed policies while our childhood obesity problem continues to get worse,” Boylan said.

State-funded research estimates that 85,000 children on the island of Ireland will prematurely die to overweight and obesity. The introduction of a voluntary code rather than a mandatory legislation will not do anything to help the situation – it will only delay real action on the issue.

Boylan called on the government to offer alternative legislation which would penalise those who breach the Codes.

The Codes of Practice were created over a 15-month period in consultation with various sectors including IBEC, Food Drink Ireland, Retail Ireland, the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, and the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland, amongst others.

Despite Boylan’s concerns of today’s announcement, Food Drink Ireland welcomed the publication of the Codes.

“Food and beverage companies are committed to responsible marketing and supporting the implementation of related recommendations in [the action plan]. The focus now has to be on effective implementation,” Paul Kelly, director of Food Drink Ireland said.

Kelly called on Minister Byrne to quickly bring together the key participants to develop the promised technical guidance document that advertisers, rights owners, media outlets and advertising practitioners now needed to bring the Codes to life.

Read: Fallon & Byrne is opening a fancy new food hall in Dundrum Town Centre

More: Leo Varadkar posted a photo of the pancake he ate yesterday and people have a lot to say about it

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20 Comments
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    Mute Toomasu Sumitsu
    Favourite Toomasu Sumitsu
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    Feb 14th 2018, 5:38 PM

    This is a very amusing headline. I’m pretty sure the journal could use “mixed reactions” with most stories but instead usually opt for “outrage”

    30
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    Mute Ania_on_coffee
    Favourite Ania_on_coffee
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    Feb 14th 2018, 6:05 PM

    Hard to believe that children die from obesity, but that’s the truth. Poor children are those that are given processed food for dinner, and are not provided with home cooked meals every day.

    23
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    Mute Dr Rex Butts
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    Feb 14th 2018, 6:53 PM

    Fats and salts should not be put in same category as sugars. They are actually good for you in the right form.

    15
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    Mute Chauncey Gardiner
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    Feb 15th 2018, 12:12 AM

    @Dr Rex Butts: as is sugar, in the right form!

    6
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    Mute paddlingAlong
    Favourite paddlingAlong
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    Feb 14th 2018, 6:28 PM

    So sick of this s light touch BS. Anytime you hear “VOLUNTARY CODES of Practice” you just know that big business got one over in the Irish people.

    Our hospitals are sucking the life out of our taxes. The sugar, salt and advertising industries are bleeding us dry.

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    Mute Patty Cullinane
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    Feb 14th 2018, 6:23 PM

    “Minister Byrne said the purpose of the Codes is to “reduce the exposure of children to unhealthy foods” and “to moderate the exposure of the general population to foods high in HFSS”

    The only way to do this is to take them all off the shelves of the food stores. Outside of that, the parents are going to have to read the nutrional and ingredient labels, and teach their children to do the same. Perhaps teaching children about nutrion, and how to read nutritional and ingredient labels on food should be part of school curriculum. Let’s face it… much of a child’s life is spent in the classroom. Schools need to take some responsibility for this.

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    Mute 245hkJ01
    Favourite 245hkJ01
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    Feb 14th 2018, 7:41 PM

    Minister Byrne, is it? Why not Catherine, since we are supposed to be a Republic? Thankfully we’re spared the likes of Taoiseach Veradkar, Tánaist Coveny, or bus-driver Reilly or street-sweeper Hanlon etc. – well for the time being, anyway. This replacing first name with Minister is overly and inappropriately deferential by the media, and obsequious by anyone, regardless of who they are.

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    Mute GizmoIrl
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    Feb 14th 2018, 5:47 PM

    Oh Catherine I Love an aul pacage of crisps like urself.

    17
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    Mute Ron
    Favourite Ron
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    Feb 14th 2018, 7:18 PM

    What about the Diagio and Supermacs?

    Great for Sundays bad for health

    Should not be associated with sports (physical)

    6
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    Mute Neuville-Kepler62F
    Favourite Neuville-Kepler62F
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    Feb 14th 2018, 11:39 PM

    Hi Minister of State for Health Promotion Catherine Byrne:
    How about a code for artificial “Trans Fats” now banned in the US from 2018?

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    Mute Eileen O'Sullivan
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    Feb 15th 2018, 2:36 AM

    @Neuville-Kepler62F: did you know that when food is deep fried even in sunflower oil the fat in the food is transformed into teams fat. Hse dietician told me that.

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    Mute shane fuller
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    Feb 14th 2018, 9:55 PM

    Sugar ie. processed carbohydrates (pasta bread crackers crisps cakes biscuits etc.)=shit
    Fat ie. fish nuts avocado olives coconut oil heavy cream real butter cheese etc. = good
    Protein ie. Meat fish nuts etc.= good
    Natural carbohydrates ie. Potato’s ,brown rice , root vegetables etc. = semi ok
    Lots of water = good
    Simple

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    Mute David Dickson
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    Feb 14th 2018, 6:25 PM

    The headline is missing two commas and an and.

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    Mute Ian Oh
    Favourite Ian Oh
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    Feb 15th 2018, 12:21 PM

    Yeah voluntary codes are the way to go, as has been proven in Banking and Politics umpteen times over……..

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    Mute Johnnie Sexton
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    Feb 16th 2018, 9:33 AM

    What a load of rubbish.

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    Mute Eileen O'Sullivan
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    Feb 15th 2018, 2:29 AM

    How can any organisation with a big profit motive sell responsible food labelling to their share holders? Simple label is a traffic man system. Red yellow green men. The red man could be rotund.

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    Mute Missyb211
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    Feb 15th 2018, 3:45 AM

    is it only sf who raised concerns? seems like the journal report alot on what sf have to say on matters but if it is the only party raising concerns, fair enough.

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