The ban on marketing junk food to kids might not happen after all

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Today’s Parent

“Parents, we’re powerless against big food companies. But as a collective voice, we can stand together for the rights of our kids and speak up”.

“Bill S-228 has been raised on the Senate floor four times, but the final vote hasn’t happened because it’s been adjourned all four times by request of a senator. That’s because the food industry is putting pressure on senators to stop the bill from becoming law. Parents aren’t supposed to know about this, but thankfully, CBC News shared a confidential letter written by industry groups, asking senators to continue to “withhold your concurrence” on Bill S-228″. Read full OpEd here…

Retweet Today’s Parent with comment: #BillS228 has been raised on the #SenCA floor 4 times and adjourned at the behest of industry. Industry is orchestrating Senate to kill the bill. Thank you @Todaysparent and @CBCNews for shining light on this. The time has come. Pass Bill S-228. #cdnpoli

Eleventh-hour lobbying by industry could kill law banning food marketing to kids

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CBC News

“It’s a cliff-hanging, nail-biting ending that nobody saw coming. What’s at stake is a law that would protect children from being targeted with advertising for foods that are high in sugar, fat and salt.

But the legislation (Bill S-228) has been caught in a late-stage drama in the halls of the Canadian Senate, where a powerful coalition of advertisers, food processors, and retailers is in the midst of an eleventh-hour lobby campaign”. Read full article here…

Retweet Heart & Stroke: Former Conservative Senator Nancy Greene Raine worked across party lines to develop Bill S-228. Almost 1,000 days later and it still hasn’t passed. Children will be the victims. @SenateCA, it’s time to call the vote! #cndpoli #Marketing2Kids

How Senate can work across party lines to stop the marketing of junk food to children

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The Province

A great article by Dr. Tom Warshawski (Chair, Childhood Obesity Foundation) and Yves Savoie (CEO, Heart and Stroke) highlighting the bipartisan journey of Bill S-228, Senate’s delay and what’s at stake. (originally published in the Hill Times on 16 April 2019).
Excerpt: “The Senate has the choice of either protecting the health of our children by passing Bill S-228 in a timely manner or protecting the interests of the industry food lobby by continuing to delay its passage… The bill is a perfect example of how a non-partisan Senate can use its plentiful resources to study a problem, propose solutions and then introduce strong legislation that supports the government’s mandate. This is the Senate at its best”. Read full OpEd here…

Majority of supermarket foods targeted to Canadian kids aren’t healthy, UCalgary research finds

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UCalgary News
A new study led by Dr. Charlene Elliott evaluating 374 food products sold in Calgary supermarkets shows the majority of those targeted to kids would not be permitted for marketing to kids under new policies being considered by the federal government. Read uCalgary news here…

Read the study here

Opinion: Two crucial next steps so the new Food Guide can really help Canadians eat better

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Op-ed by Dr. Andrew Pipe and Yves Savoie, applauding Health Canada for the modern, free-of-industry-influence on Canada’s new Food Guide. The OpEd highlights the two remaining critical components: 1) restrictions on marketing to children and 2) front-of-pack nutrition labels. 

Retweet Heart & Stroke

Time to protect our kids from sugary foods and drinks

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Winnipeg Free Press
Amanda Nash, Registered Dietitian and the health promotion and nutrition manager for Heart & Stroke Manitoba highlights the dangers of foods and beverages high in salt, saturated fat and sugar and the need for Canada’s Health Eating Strategy. Read article here…

Retweet: Heart & Stroke

‘Big Juice’ under pressure from push back against high-sugar beverages

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CBC News

“Big Juice” has been pushing back by lobbying federal ministers and decision makers “unintended consequences” of an industry that’s “under threat.” Currently, Canada’s  Food Guide advises a half cup of juice as being the same as a serving of fruit or vegetables. Manuel Arango, Director of Health Police at Heart and Stroke says, “Equating a fruit with a glass of juice is just bananas”. Read article here…

Retweet Heart & Stroke

Opinion: Education, tougher standards can help end diabetes epidemic

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Montreal Gazette 

Opinion piece from Jan Hux, MD, is President and CEO, Diabetes Canada. “Canadians desperately need help to optimize their health. The establishment of the federal Healthy Eating Strategy (HES) is a step in the right direction.” Benefits of front-of-package labelling, the new food guide, and Bill S-228 are briefly discussed.

Read article here…

Open Letter: Passage of Bill S-228 – restricting marketing of junk food to children

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Hill Times

An Open Letter addressed to Canadian Senators from Heart and Stroke signed by a group of medical doctors, public health and nutrition experts.

Except: “As a group of medical doctors, public health and nutrition experts concerned about the millions of children living in Canada that will be affected by diet-related disease we are writing to express our support for the speedy passage of Bill S-228. This legislation proposes to restrict the marketing of junk foods to children 12 years and under and was spearheaded by your former Senate colleague Nancy Greene Raine…

Many Senators have heard pleas from the food and beverage industry, however, it’s important that we speak up for those that this legislation will protect; our children. Let’s be clear about the facts: Read full letter here…

 

Canadian Common Sense – Bill S-228

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Global News Radio

A great interview with one of our Coalition’s Co-Chairs, Dr. Tom Warshawski talking about the concerns around food and beverage marketing to children and the Senate delay. Listen here… 
Sample Tweet: Retweet Albert Policy Coalition