With the battle cry, “Fuel Us Don’t Fool Us”, Bite Back last week launched their campaign through an open letter seeking to influence companies and government policy makers into reviewing tactics in the marketing of ultra-processed foods to children, which they describe as having become “a cultural wallpaper in the lives of young people growing up in the UK.”

Bite Back’s findings follow an investigation of the 10 biggest global food and drink businesses operating in the UK. They present research with the University of Oxford and Nesta into the sales and marketing of packaged food and drink products aimed at children, showing that 7 out of 10 of the UK’s biggest food manufacturers have, they argue, business models focussed on selling and marketing junk food products to children.

“Individuals are blamed for struggling in a system rigged against them,” says Alice. “I don’t want to be bombarded by junk food ads when I’m simply walking to school. It’s exhausting and relentless.”

In addition to the promotion of education regarding nutrition, Alice and her fellow campaigners are calling for companies to stop using cartoon characters and misleading health claims on HFSS (high in fat, salt or sugar) products, urging the government to keep their promises around the banning online junk food marketing.

To find out more about their campaign, click here:

https://biteback.contentfiles.net/media/documents/WEBSITE__Bite_Back_Manufacturers___high_res.pdf

To sign the Bite Back petition click here:

https://www.biteback2030.com/lets-bite-back/fuel-us-dont-fool-us/