Here he is. The UK’s resident party pooper’s at it again. Jamie Oliver now not only wants to get rid of every tasty thing on planet Earth, he know wants to ban cartoon characters from cereal boxes.
This is not a drill. The chef’s idea of fun would see the figurative axing of Tony the Tiger, Snap, Crack and Pop, Coco the Monkey, possibly even that excitable cowboy from Golden Nuggets fame.
A vocal campaigner for the tax on sugar and fizzy drinks, Jamie won’t give up until he sees absolute change.
He’s calling for a ban on junk food adverts before 9pm and to stop energy drinks being sold to children across all supermarkets.
The ground-breaking sugar tax on soft drinks came into force in the UK on April 13 meaning manufacturers have to pay a levy on high-sugar drinks being sold.
Drinks including Fanta, Ribena and Lucozade have cut the sugar content of drinks, but Coca-Cola has stayed the same.
He says he aims to use social media to promote his new ’11-point manifesto’, which covers everything from food labelling to GP training and advertising campaigns.
According to iNews, he told the UK Health and Social Care Select Committee the ‘future of the NHS’ is at stake if the government don’t clamp down on cereal advertising.
They subsequently discussed banning ‘brand-generated characters or licensed TV and film characters’ which are used to promote foods ‘high in fat, sugar or salt on television and advertising hoardings.’
Here’s the 11-point manifesto, BTW:
Ban TV ads for food and drinks that are high in salt, fat or sugar before the 9pm watershed. Restrict advertising on social media, billboards, bus stops and sports stadiums as well as outside schools. Ban the use of cartoon characters and celebrities to promote these foods. Ban cheap promotions that encourage people to buy them.
Expand the sugar tax to cover more products.
Set compulsory targets for sugar and calorie reduction in food and drink.
Ban the sale of energy drinks to anyone under 16, requiring ID.
After Brexit, bring in new, clearer colour-coded pack labels so no food high in salt, fat or sugar can be sold as a healthy alternative.
Enforce proper food standards for all school meals, across the age range, monitored by Ofsted.
Compulsory training for GPs on aspects of nutrition, with patients weighed at every visit.
More support for national programmes to measure and weigh children.
Improve catering in public buildings so there are healthy options, particularly for shift workers and NHS staff.
New powers for local authorities to limit hot food takeaways near schools.
New Government target to halve childhood obesity by 2030.
Stick to making bacon sarnies on YouTube, mate. Let the kids have their cartoon favourites. What’s life without the simple pleasures of Tony the Tiger intruding a family kitchen to sing a song with a teenager whose destiny we never truly got to the end of?
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