Children's Food Heroes and Food Zeroes of 2014

Here’s a round-up of the Children’s Food Campaign’s 2014 activity, campaigns and successes, with the help of some of our ‘Food Heroes’ and ‘Food Zeroes’ of the year.
 

Food heroes:

School Food Plan and the Department for Education
For the second year in a row, we have the School Food Plan at the top of the tree. We also give due credit to the Department for Education for ‘Super September’ – revised school food standards (mandatory from 5th Jan 2015), cooking skills and food education back onto the curriculum for Key Stages 1-3, and the introduction of universal infant free school meals. A special mention too for the many organisations, caterers and school leaders who helped make it happen.

The British Dietetic Association’s Dietitians in Obesity Management Specialist Group
One of the most significant changes on the High Street this year has been the removal of sweets and chocolates from the tills of leading supermarkets – including Lidl (in Jan 2014), Tesco and Aldi (to be completed by Dec 31st 2014). The government is even trumpeting these companies for their ‘Healthy Till’ policies. But none of this would have happened without our ‘Junk Free Checkouts’ campaign, which dietitians have been helping to lead, with additional support from Slimming World and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. There have been stalls, talks, distribution of our checkout challenge cards, and even discussions direct with retailers to help advise them on suitable alternatives to sell at the till.

British Heart Foundation
Thanks to being promoted in British Heart Foundation shops and to its supporters, over 35,000 people signed a petition to close loopholes which currently allow the marketing of junk food to children. This petition was part of a joint campaign we have been running with the BHF calling for the introduction of a 9pm watershed for junk food ads on TV and for tightening regulations around online marketing.  We are also hugely grateful for the BHF’s financial support of the Children’s Food Campaign from 2012-2014, and are really excited that the relationship will continue in 2015.

Emma Boyland, Rosa Whalen and Brendan Collins (University of Liverpool)
The university sector was our most hotly-contested category, as our relationships with academics and departments working on schools, marketing and food policy flourish.  The winners all come from the University of Liverpool. Emma and Rosa conducted the research that exposed how family TV shows are saturated with junk food ads. Brendan did the number-crunching that enabled us to announce the savings and health impact a sugary drinks duty would have. That research was funded by Food Active, an initiative of the North West directors of public health, who help give that region such campaigning zeal.

Barbara Goldberg, Maria Mantzorou, Jennifer Parker, James Thorneycroft and Tom Venner Woodcock
Our amazing 2014 Children’s Food Campaign volunteers have produced much of the background research which underpin our reports, consultation submissions and campaigns. They also help with the behind-the-scenes projects and admin that keep the CFC show on the road, and online, and me to task. A big personal thanks to each of them.
 

Food zeroes:

Committee of Advertising Practice and the Advertising Standards Authority
It’s second time in a row for this dubious honour for the two organisations who make and adjudicate on marketing rules. Whilst we’ve had a couple of complaints against companies upheld (there’s another one coming out on 31 December), progress on the bigger picture has been very slow. We remain unconvinced that the literature review announced in February will lead to the changes in the CAP Code necessary to better protect children from junk food marketing. And we have heard nothing about the review of the ASA’s online remit that was meant to be conducted a year ago.

Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola Life, launched this year, is still a product that contains over four teaspoons of sugar per 330ml can. The nature of Coca-Cola’s business – of selling us sugary products – has not changed. Nor have their marketing practices: sponsoring sports events and promoting physical activity to try and ‘offset’ the damage of their products and pretend they are part of the solution. The Coca-Cola London Eye, as it will be rebranded from 17th January, is not the sign of a healthier future.  The only good thing to emerge from the company is that they have signed up to the new front-of-pack nutrition labelling scheme.

The Responsibility Deal
This was the year that the Department of Health’s Responsibility Deal had the chance to redeem itself, but instead fell further into disrepute.  A pledge on food promotion had long been talked about, including by ministers. But the food industry wouldn’t even agree to a lowest common denominator set of options and the idea was shelved.  The same occurred in Scotland, with industry pulling out of talks rather than agree to anything that might affect their ability to push junk at children.  That is the limit of a voluntary approach.

Party Health Spokespeople
There are some great MPs and peers involved with the All Party Parliamentary Group on School Food, and the APPG on Fit and Healthy Childhood.  But sadly the efforts of these politicians have not yet successfully filtered up to their respective parties’ health spokespeople or to election manifestos. With less than five months until the General Election, we remain unconvinced that any of the political parties are going to be offering the bold policies needed to effectively tackle the obesogenic environment and improve our food system.  That is the political change ahead.