Young Children: Convenience Foods

Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe Excerpts

Wednesday 4th June 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

As the noble Baroness is aware, we continue to support the levy on sugar in drinks. That has actually had success, not least with reformulation. On the point about advertising to which the noble Baroness referred, as I have said, we are committed to bringing in the advertising ban, which will be in place in January. Indeed, industry—TV and online advertising—has already agreed to implement what will be in the regulations earlier than that.

Marketing sponsorship is a much broader point, but again it is one we take very seriously and continue to keep our eye on. I cannot give the noble Baroness the reassurance she seeks today, but I can assure her how seriously we take the impact of advertising and branding and who it is aimed at, particularly where we seek to support better health for infants and young people.

[Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe (Lab)]

My Lords, I welcome the Government’s review of the so-called “fizzy tax” and the consultation that will end in July. Could the Minister tell me whether this extends to and covers these pouches, which are very heavy in sugar? If not, can a review take place to try to apply the same principles we have applied on the fizzy tax to the pouches?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

On the matter of new taxation, my noble friend will understand that it is above my pay grade and outside my department. However, we have worked closely with industry in this area. On the matter of pouches, there is already advice that parents should ensure, where children and infants are using them, that it would be better to use the contents through spoons, rather than the item at the end of the pouch, in order to help guard against dental decay. In working with industry, some brands are already taking action to improve their baby food products: for example, the amount of sugar in Heinz creamy rice pudding has been reduced by more than half and Heinz has changed its labelling, which now says pouches are suitable for those aged six months-plus. This is an example of the work we can do. Yes, we have to do more and I am very aware of the danger that sugar represents to the youngest in our community.