Junk food advertising ban “loopholes” need to be closed, campaigners say

Campaigners have welcomed restrictions on junk food advertising to combat childhood obesity finally coming into effect in the UK.They warned, however, that allowing companies to continue to advertise their brands considerably weakens the potential impact of the ban and restrictions must go further.From 1 January 2026 adverts for less healthy food and drinks will be banned from appearing on television between 5 30 am and 9 pm, and paid adverts will be banned online.1The ban only covers ads in which unhealthy products can be identified by viewers, however. This means that companies will still be able to advertise using their brand name or logo. And other types of advertising, such as billboards, will not be affected by the change.Under the new rules items high in fat, salt, and sugar across 13 categories can no longer be advertised on TV before the watershed or at any time online. These products are…