UK Labels Porridge and Crumpets Junk Food, Bans Ads

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Facts

  • Britain's Labour government issued new guidance on Tuesday, classifying various food items as 'junk' and deeming them too unhealthy to be advertised on television.[1][2]
  • The new policy covers 13 categories of food and drink. This includes protein bars, cereal bars, and biscuits; all commercials advertising these items will be banned.[3][4]
  • Popular food items like crumpets, porridges, scones, and muesli also fall into this category, with their advertisements now being barred before 9 p.m. beginning October 2025.[5][6]
  • The government is reportedly looking to tackle childhood obesity through the fresh guidance, which has tagged some items traditionally considered healthy as junk.[7][3]
  • The move is based on salt, fat, sugar, and protein content, and is intended to remove 7.2B calories a year from UK kids' diets and reduce child obesity cases by 20K.[4][8]
  • Amid the changes to UK Food Regulations 2021, Health Secretary Wes Streeting said obesity robs children 'of the best possible start in life,' adding that it 'costs the NHS billions.'[1][8]

Sources: [1]The Telegraph, [2]Perspective Media International, [3]The Times, [4]Independent, [5]GB News, [6]Daily Mail, [7]The Standard and [8]LBC.

Narratives

  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by GB News and Daily Mail. Labour's latest ban on junk food ads may be intended to tackle obesity, but lumping porridge and crumpets into the same category as fizzy drinks and pizza feels comically overzealous. Banning ads for nutrient-rich staples like cereals and yogurt, while giving quiches and sausage rolls a free pass, smacks of policy gone awry. If the goal is to reduce daily calorie intake, this heavy-handed 'nanny state' measure appears more like political theater than a genuine public health strategy.
  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by The Telegraph and The Times. To address the growing obesity crisis and save the NHS billions, the UK government is implementing a ban on ads for foods classified as “unhealthy,” which includes sugary porridge, granola, and muesli. Despite some backlash over targeting traditional food staples, this policy highlights the urgent need to reduce calorie consumption. With childhood obesity rates soaring and the National Health Service struggling under the financial burden related to these issues, even popular dishes are affected. Decisive action is necessary to ensure healthier futures for everyone.

Predictions