Media releases

Food for Health Alliance has applauded Independent MP Dr Sophie Scamps, who is set to re-introduce a Private Members Bill into Parliament today to remove unhealthy food marketing on TV and radio, including subscription (streaming) services, between 6am and 9.30pm and online at all times.

Leading public health groups are calling for Health Star Ratings to be mandatory across all packaged food products, after an audit found almost two-thirds of items failed to display a rating a decade after the introduction of the voluntary scheme.

Food for Health Alliance’s Brands off our kids! campaign today launched an Open Letter, appealing to Australian Health Minister, the Hon Mark Butler, to introduce regulation to stop sinister marketing tactics of the processed food industry relentlessly targeting children.

Australian public health groups have welcomed the news that the Australian Government plans to better control how infant formulas are marketed in Australia, saying that the move will help protect children’s health and prevent parent confusion.

Food for Health Alliance is urging the Australian Government to take swift action to protect children from unhealthy food and drink advertising. This comes after the UK announced last week that by October 2025 it will implement a ban on junk food marketing on television before 9pm and paid junk food advertising online.

Food for Health Alliance has welcomed the Federal Parliamentary Inquiry into Diabetes’ recommendations for the Australian Government to protect children from junk food marketing, introduce a tiered levy on sugary drinks to fast-track reformulation, and implement food labelling reforms that target added sugar.

Supermarkets are using product placement and price promotions to lure Australians into buying more unhealthy foods than they intend to, with shocking new Cancer Council Victoria research showing the marketing tactics are working.

A new pilot study analysing screen recordings from young people’s online activity has found that companies are targeting them with ads for harmful products including alcohol, gambling and junk food.

Executive Manager, Jane Martin, comments on Australian Bureau of Statistics data published today showing Australians are cutting back on vegetables and fruit but snack foods continue to fill supermarket trolleys.

This World Obesity Day, Food for Health Alliance has singled out government inaction on tackling Australia’s growing obesity crisis, with little progress made since the National Obesity Strategy was launched in 2022.

Jane Martin comments on a new study which finds junk food and sugary drink consumption linked to over 30 damaging health outcomes.

Most Australians want action to protect children from unhealthy food and sugary drink marketing on TV, online and social media, new data reveals.

Poor diets among children have increased according to ABS National Health Survey 2022 data.

FHA supports changes to the Food Standards Code that would see high sugar foods unable to carry ‘no added sugar’ claims on packaging.

Alarming new research reveals ready-made baby and toddler foods can carry up to 20 marketing claims that trick consumers into believing these products are wholesome for little ones, when often they are not. On average, 8 claims were found on packaged foods for our youngest consumers.