The Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) has called on the South Australian government to reconsider its planned ban on food and drink advertising across government assets starting Tuesday, July 1.
The AANA is urging a shift to a “science-based approach”, using the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) nutrient profiling system to define which products should be restricted, instead of what it describes as an unscientific blanket ban.
AANA CEO Josh Faulks said the current policy lacks nuance and could have unintended economic consequences.
“As it stands, this policy bans all processed meats, which means a simple ham salad sandwich can’t be advertised,” Faulks said.
“This simply doesn’t make sense, and the government should be making evidence-based decisions, not blanket bans that don’t align with nutritional science.”
Under the current rules, fortified soy milk is classified as a sugar-sweetened beverage and banned, while jam is permitted and rice cakes are not.
“We fully support measures that encourage healthy eating, but this policy fails to distinguish between everyday foods and discretionary items,” Faulks said. “It creates confusion and unfairly restricts brands that are doing the right thing from communicating with consumers.”
The AANA also raised concerns over the broad scope of the ban, saying it could impact businesses unrelated to food or drink.
“The policy bans all advertising showing those banned food or drink items. For example, an ad celebrating the anniversary of a children’s charity which depicts a child with a birthday cake would be banned,” said Faulks.
“The Tasting Australia event can no longer show images of charcuterie boards or pastries in their advertising.”
The outdoor advertising industry has contributed over $41 million in advertising support to a national health campaign in the past five years. South Australia had been invited to take part in the latest phase.
The AANA is urging the government to adopt evidence-based policies that balance public health goals with economic sustainability.
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