AANA response to consultation on HFSS marketing restrictions in Australia

The Australian national advertiser association, AANA, has responded to a government consultation being carried out as part of a feasibility study on options to limit unhealthy food marketing to children. In its response, the AANA raised concerns around the proportionality of the measures being considered by government, and the corresponding economic damage that such measures are likely to inflict. It also challenged the evidentiary basis that marketing restrictions lead to improved public health outcomes.

AANA highlighted the work being done by brands to reduce the exposure of children to advertising of unhealthy foods. The local self-regulatory food and beverage ad code,updated in 2021, restricts the marketing of “occasional foods”, as defined by government-backed nutrition criteria, to U15s, using a 25% audience threshold. The accompanying Children’s Advertising Code was updated in 2023.

WFA will continue to support AANA in its outreach. For more information, please contact Megan McEwin at AANA.

The response can be downloaded below.