Our contents this week:
Retail, Food & Hospitality updates
Advertising watchdog consults on new rules for advertising less healthy foods: The Committees on advertising practice have issued detailed draft guidance for consultation on application of the nine o’clock watershed and online advertising band for less healthy food products due in force in October 2025. The revised guidance focuses on interpretation of identifiable food products and indirect references to products. Responses are required by 18th March. View >
Home Office propose tougher rules for underage knife sales: The Home Office has issued a press release announcing its intention to increase the maximum penalty for underage knife sales to two years imprisonment, to consult on a registration system for knife retailers and on requiring retailers to report suspicious bulk purchases.View >
Advertising Standards Authority rule against ‘-46% today’ price comparison claim: A website for Secret Escapes, featured a listing “Sublime seaside hotel in buzzy Bournemouth”, “Time-limited”, “up to -46% today”, and “From £135 £233 [crossed out] per room per night”. Two “i” symbols featured further text stating “On selected offers. The discount percentage is the maximum discount value we’ve found across a significant proportion of our dates in comparison to the hotel’s standard rate or the [competitor] rate for this offer. The strike through price is illustrative of that maximum discount. See Offer Details for full information”. Further text under “Offer Details” stated, “Our discount: The specified discount is calculated regularly and based on the hotel’s own prices or those on comparable booking portals”.The ASA considered that consumers would understand the claim “Up to -46%” to mean that Secret Escapes offered hotel stays with a discount of up to 46% compared to the usual selling price of the same hotel stay on the hotel’s own website. Because the “from” price and “up to” “from” price percentage discount claim were displayed directly next to each other in the ad, we considered consumers would understand that the “up to” percentage discount directly related to the “from” price shown. Because the percentage discount had not been calculated against the standard price of the hotel room, and the presentation of the percentage discount suggested they related to the same figure, the ASA concluded that the savings claims were misleading. View >
Portman Group reject complaints about two alcoholic products: The independent complaints panel of the alcohol industry watchdog has rejected a complaint about child appeal of an ‘Ice cream whisky’ from Glenmorangie. The panel has also ruled that a ‘Black eye London gin’ did not breach their code on bravado, violent, aggressive, dangerous, anti-social or illegal behaviour. Ice cream whisky > London dry gin >
EU updates
European Commission publish vision for Agriculture and Food: The European Commission has outlined a vision for the future of farming and food production in the EU. The goal is to build a stronger, more innovative food system that benefits both farmers and consumers and helps feed the world in a sustainable way. The roadmap builds on the work of the Strategic Dialogue on the future of EU agriculture, proposing key pathways for the future of agri-food policy until 2040. Key areas of action include proposing in 2025 a comprehensive simplification package for the current agricultural legislative framework. View > BEUC >
The EU Commission has also appointed David Brozina as Director General for Agriculture, Fisheries, Social Affairs and Health. View >
European Food Safety Authority opinions:
- Pesticides: clomazone > daminozide >
- Plant protection products: oxathiapiprolin > terbuthylazine >
- Feed additives: canthaxanthin > choline chloride > Lactiplantibacillus plantaru > bentonite >
EU Regulations:
- Authorising feed additives: Lanthanum carbonate octahydrate > Saccharomyces cerevisiae >
Developments to watch
Scottish Government: Renew call for repeal of UK Internal Market Act. View >
DEFRA Publish update on ongoing Avian flu Outbreak. View >
Local Government Association: Respond to Home Office consultation on Ransomware attacks.View >
For your information
Non-food product safety alerts: Office for Product Safety and Standards >EU Safety gate >US Consumer Product Safety Commission >
Department of Health and Social Care: Announce research on the long term effects of youth vaping.View >
Pubs code adjudicator: Announces reaching halfway point in seeking the views of 1200 tenants.View >
Chartered Institute of Environmental Health: Announces appointments:
Ian Andrews Interim Head of Environment Health Richard Fernandez Interim Head of Policy and External Affairs. View >
