Liz Truss has reportedly been faced with obstacles in her desire to scrap HFSS ad restrictions as the prime minister hits legal and parliamentary roadblocks.
According to The Guardian, Whitehall sources have said that there is “a question mark” over how Truss will scrap the sugar tax while receiving growing backlash against her plan.
Truss intends to scrap all anti-obesity strategies and cancel planned restrictions on pre-watershed HFSS ads as part of an ambition to reduce burdens on business and help shoppers through the cost of living crisis.
Health campaigners and senior doctors have raised concerns over the plans. Last week officials at the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities said they were “aghast” at the prospect of the new prime minister scrapping plans to battle junk food consumption.
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The Obesity Health Alliance director, Katharine Jenner, also said that she is “deeply concerned”.
“It would be reckless to waste government and business time and money rowing back on these obesity policies, which are evidence-based and already in law. These policies are popular with the public, who want it to be easier to make healthier choices,” she added.
“There are few policies that are good for business, good for health and good for government. The soft drinks industry levy is one of them.”
The sugar tax raises £300 million a year for the Treasury and has resulted in a 30% reduction of the sugar content in many soft drinks.
Jenner added: “Removing the levy would mean those on lower incomes would have to actually pay more to access programmes, in a cost of living crisis. It is nonsensical.”
Despite backlash, the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) announced that it welcomes the review of HFSS ad restrictions last week.
IPA director of legal and public affairs Richard Lindsay said: “We have always been clear that, based on that Government’s own evidence, the restrictions would do nothing to address the problem of childhood obesity that all of us want to solve, but would have a damaging impact on businesses.
