Children's Food Campaign response to Change4Life 'Great Swapathon'

Responding to the launch of the Change4Life 'Great Swapathon', Christine Haigh of the Children's Food Campaign said:

“The latest phase of the Change4Life campaign, in which the food industry plays an increasing role through distributing vouchers for its products, is a worrying distraction from policies which could help to reduce obesity in the UK, such as introducing traffic light labelling and protecting children from junk food marketing.”

"While the exercise constitutes an excellent marketing opportunity for the companies involved, we are skeptical that a 50p discount on mayonnaise and 25p off some sugary yogurts will do much to improve the nation's long-term health."

 

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For further information, please contact Christine Haigh on 0203 5596 777 or 07870 577934, or at Christine@sustainweb.org.
 

Notes to editors:

1) The Children's Food Campaign wants to improve children's health and well-being through better food - and food teaching - in schools, and protecting children from junk food marketing. We are supported by over 150 national organisations. The Children's Food Campaign is coordinated by Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming and funded by the British Heart Foundation. For more information, see http://www.childrensfoodcampaign.org.uk/ 

2) Details of the announcement are available at http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/MediaCentre/Pressreleases/DH_123214 

3) In July, a coalition of 30 organisations concerned with children's health wrote to Health Secretary Andrew Lansley raising concerns about plans to increase the involvement of food companies in the Change4Life campaign.  For more information, see https://www.sustainweb.org/news/july_2010_lansley_childrens_health

4) In 2010, the Children's Food Campaign cited concerns about the involvement of Kellogg's and Nestlé in the Change4Life campaign after both companies' marketing activities were shown to directly conflict with key messages of the campaign.  For more information, see https://www.sustainweb.org/news/cocopops_ad/ and https://www.sustainweb.org/news/october10_nestle_breach_change4life/

5) Increased involvement of the food industry in the Change4Life campaign inspired a series of spoof posters, a selection of which are available at https://www.sustainweb.org/childrensfoodcampaign/change_for_life