Driving “The Draft Act on the Regulation of Marketing of Foods and Beverages Affecting Children’s Health” – To Protect Children’s Health and Reduce the Risk of Childhood Obesity and Non-Communicable Diseases.”

Driving “The Draft Act on the Regulation of Marketing of Foods and Beverages Affecting Children's Health” – To Protect Children's Health and Reduce the Risk of Childhood Obesity and Non-Communicable Diseases."

World Health Organization (WHO) suggests implementing policies to restrict marketing of foods high in saturated fatty acids, trans-fatty acids, free sugars and/or salt to which children are exposed, and that such policies should: 

• be mandatory;

• protect children of all ages;

• use a government-led nutrient profile model to classify foods to be restricted from marketing;

• be sufficiently comprehensive to minimize the risk of migration of marketing to other media, to other spaces within the same medium or to other age groups; and

• restrict the persuasive power of food marketing.

Progress in Thailand

The Drafting of the Act to Control Marketing of Food and Drinks Affecting Children’s Health Started in 2020.

Key Points of the Draft Act on the Regulation of Marketing of Food and Beverages Affecting Children's Health

Purpose: To protect children from the persuasive marketing of foods and beverages that affect their health – specifically those high in fat, sugar, and/or sodium (HFSS). The aim is to reduce children’s exposure to and stimulation from unhealthy food and beverage marketing. This is expected to reduce purchasing behavior and consumption of such products, thereby lowering the risk of childhood obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs)

Necessity of Draft Act:

The proposed measures align with the current childhood obesity situation, government policies as well as global and national collaborations and recommendations.

Key measures:

1. 
   Protect children under 18 years of age

   2. Control the marketing of HFSS food products. The food is considered HFSS, based on the Thailand’s Nutrient Profiling Model

2. Covers 7Ps of marketing strategies (Product, Price, Place, Promotion, Physical Evidence, People, Process)

Examples of Proposed Measures to Regulate the Marketing of HFSS Foods:

- Labels must not use techniques (e.g. cartoons, text) that appeal to children and should display symbols illustrating HFSS content that are easy to understand.

- Control sales in educational institutions below tertiary level education.

- Control advertising through any communication channels and places including television, radio, online media, billboards, public transportation systems, educational institutions etc.

- Control sales promotion, such as exchange vouchers, giving away, lucky draws and prizes.

Current Situation of the Draft Act:

- The Draft Act is currently being proposed to the high-level decision-makers of the Ministry of Public Health (Director-General of the Department of Health / Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Health / Honorable Minister of Public Health)

- Developing an approach for using Thailand’s Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM) to regulate appropriate food and beverage marketing, aiming to minimize the broader impact on the industrial sector.

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Attached Documents:
1. WHO Guideline: Policies to protect children from the harmful impact of food marketing. https://nutrition2.anamai.moph.go.th/th/fmc/214543

2. 2. Controls on the marketing of food and non-alcoholic beverages to children in Thailand: Legislative options and regulatory design. https://nutrition2.anamai.moph.go.th/th/fmc/212197

3. Thailand’s Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM)

   https://nutrition2.anamai.moph.go.th/th/book/210980