Kids' law could force a pub menu crackdown

Family pubs could face a crackdown on how they promote their children's menus in the latest attempt to tackle obesity.

Debra Shipley MP has launched a private member's bill - the Children's Food Bill - aimed at improving children's diets.

If it becomes law, the bill will strictly control how "unhealthy" food is sold to children whether through television advertising, in fast-food restaurants or in family-focused pubs such as Greene King's Hungry Horse brand, Spirit Group's Wacky Warehouse or Whitbread's Brewster's.

Initially the bill would require the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to specify criteria for food and drink children should be encouraged to eat - and that which they should not be encouraged to consume.

Then, based on that criteria, the marketing of unhealthy food to children would be banned. Instead the FSA would be told to promote healthy options, including fruit and vegetables, to children.

Any ban on marketing unhealthy food could wide-ranging implications for family-dining in pubs. Many pubs have children's menus which include meals such as burgers, chips and pizzas that could be considered to be unhealthy.

And many of the large family-led branded chains market their menus heavily to children with the use of promotional toys, animated characters and games.

All this would be illegal under the new plans.

"Obesity has doubled in six-year-olds and trebled among 15-year-olds over a 10-year period," Ms Shipley said.

"It is not surprising the Chief Medical Officer has described the problem as a 'public health timebomb' that needs to be defused.

"It is no longer good enough to hold consultations, produce reviews and call on the industry to mend its ways. Action is urgently needed."

But pubcos believe Ms Shipley's crusade is misguided.

Adam Collett, marketing director at Greene King, said: "As the issue of childhood obesity gains momentum we need to respond through offering customers a choice. The Hungry Horse children's food offer currently gives choice via its 'pick and mix' menu, which offers the popular 100% beef burgers and chips as well as chicken pieces with jacket potato and salad. At Hungry Horse we also give choice by offering healthier alternatives to chips - mashed potato, jacket potato and salad are promoted as options.

"This said, the issue of childhood obesity goes so much further than pub food. Food that children eat in a pub is a very small percentage of their total diet. Food given by parents in the home and school meals play a much more important role and the Government's heavy handed proposal to stamp down on the promotion of 'unhealthy food' in pubs will not even break the surface of the problem."

The Children's Food Bill will:​

• require the FSA to define healthy and unhealthy foods
• prohibit the marketing of unhealthy foods to children
• require the government to produce an annual plan to promote healthy food to children
• set standards for school meals
• improve food education in schools