Mandatory regulation or self-regulation in the age of the Volkswagen saga
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A recent letter to the NZMJ by a food industry executive1 states that past work (by some of us)2 was of historical interest only . Furthermore, the letter claimed that industry self-regulation of food marketing is very effective and increasingly so . But there is evidence that the problem of marketing of unhealthy food in New Zealand remains a long-term, unresolved problem with significant consequences for health.3,4 This is shown by a large number of New Zealand studies,2,5-10 including ones published in 2013,11 201412,13 and an unpublished study in 2015 (described in a recent article in this Journal, which also provides a good overview of the food marketing problem14).Furthermore, there are New Zealand examples where self-regulation has clearly failed. One is the inadequate response of the tobacco industry in New Zealand to follow guidelines around advertising, resulting in the Government eventually having to regulate this domain.15Fortunately, New Zealand takes a mandatory regulations approach with many products, including pharmaceuticals, hazardous chemicals, firearms and product safety in general (eg, aspects of car design). Furthermore, the Government used regulatory powers to phase out asbestos imports, leaded petrol, and regulations have helped to eradicate various infectious diseases eg, hydatids and brucellosis.In the food area, New Zealand uses regulations to prohibit microbiological contamination by some micro-organisms (such as Salmonella) and there is the illustrative case of the long-term, food-borne campylobacteriosis epidemic in New Zealand. Major progress in dealing with this epidemic only came once the New Zealand Government started to set regulations around campylobacter contamination levels in fresh poultry. This regulation triggered a marked 54% reduction in disease burden16 and appears to have also reduced the burden of an associated neurological disease as well.17Given the extent of the obesity epidemic in New Zealand,4 and its preventable costs to the nation of at least three-quarters of a billion dollars a year,18 it seems high time to follow these past successful approaches and start mandatory regulation of unhealthy food marketing.Yet even when regulation is put in place, there is a risk that industry deception can still occur. The recent international situation with Volkswagen and its diesel emissions testing software is illustrative.19 This suggests that even a very large company may attempt to risk its quality brand value by deceiving regulators.So, not only should policy-makers be very cautious about industry claims for the value of self-regulation but, given situations like the Volkswagen saga, they should also consider better funding of regulatory science.20 Mandatory regulations, combined with science-based monitoring may then start to have an impact around further protecting the public from unhealthy products including the marketing of unhealthy food.
Summary
Abstract
Aim
Method
Results
Conclusion
Author Information
Acknowledgements
Correspondence
Correspondence Email
Competing Interests
- Rich K. Comment on: Getting serious about protecting New Zealand children against unhealthy food marketing. N Z Med J. 2015;128(1422):85-87. Wilson N, Quigley R, Mansoor O. Food ads on TV: a health hazard for children? Aust N Z J Public Health. 1999;23:647-50. Hastings G, McDermott L, Angus K, et al., The extent, nature and effects of food promotion to children: A review of the evidence. Technical paper prepared for the World Health Organization. 2006, World Health Organization. Ministry of Health, Annual Update of Key Results 2013/14: New Zealand Health Survey. 2014, Ministry of Health: Wellington. Jenkin G, Wilson N, Hermanson N. Identifying unhealthy food advertising on television: a case study applying the UK Nutrient Profile model. Public Health Nutr. 2009;12:614-23. Wilson N, Signal L, Nicholls S, et al. Marketing fat and sugar to children on New Zealand television. Prev Med. 2006;42:96-101. Maher A, Wilson N, Signal L. Advertising and availability of obesogenic foods around New Zealand secondary schools: a pilot study. N Z Med J. 2005;118:U1556. Maher A, Wilson N, Signal L, et al. Patterns of sports sponsorship by gambling, alcohol and food companies: an Internet survey. BMC Public Health. 2006;6:95. Wilson N, Signal L, Nicholls S, et al. Hazardous and beneficial nutritional messages in 858 televised food advertisements during childrens viewing hours. N Z Med J. 2006;119:U1967. Richards R, Darling H, Reeder AI. Sponsorship and fund-raising in New Zealand schools: implications for health. Aust N Z J Public Health. 2005;29:331-6. Carter MA, Signal L, Edwards R, et al. Food, fizzy, and football: promoting unhealthy food and beverages through sport - a New Zealand case study. BMC Public Health. 2013;13:126. No E, Kelly B, Devi A, et al. Food references and marketing in popular magazines for children and adolescents in New Zealand: a content analysis. Appetite. 2014;83:75-81. Devi A, Eyles H, Rayner M, et al. Nutritional quality, labelling and promotion of breakfast cereals on the New Zealand market. Appetite. 2014;81:253-60. Vandevijvere S, Swinburn B. Getting serious about protecting New Zealand children against unhealthy food marketing. N Z Med J. 2015;128(1428):36-40. Thomson G, Wilson N. The Tobacco Industry in New Zealand\u202f: A Case Study of the Behaviour of Multinational Companies. Public Health Monograph Series. Wellington: University of Otago. http://www.otago.ac.nz/wellington/otago022957.pdf 2002. Sears A, Baker MG, Wilson N, et al. Marked campylobacteriosis decline after interventions aimed at poultry, New Zealand. Emerg Infect Dis. 2011;17:1007-15. Baker MG, Kvalsvig A, Zhang J, et al. Declining Guillain-Barre syndrome after campylobacteriosis control, New Zealand, 1988-2010. Emerg Infect Dis. 2012;18:226-33. Lal A, Moodie M, Ashton T, et al. Health care and lost productivity costs of overweight and obesity in New Zealand. Australian N Z J Public Health. 2012;36:550-556. Schiermeier Q. The science behind the Volkswagen emissions scandal. Nature News. 2015;(25 September). Nature. Testing times [Editorial]. Nature. 2015;526:5.-
For the PDF of this article,
contact nzmj@nzma.org.nz
Mandatory regulation or self-regulation in the age of the Volkswagen saga
View Article PDF
A recent letter to the NZMJ by a food industry executive1 states that past work (by some of us)2 was of historical interest only . Furthermore, the letter claimed that industry self-regulation of food marketing is very effective and increasingly so . But there is evidence that the problem of marketing of unhealthy food in New Zealand remains a long-term, unresolved problem with significant consequences for health.3,4 This is shown by a large number of New Zealand studies,2,5-10 including ones published in 2013,11 201412,13 and an unpublished study in 2015 (described in a recent article in this Journal, which also provides a good overview of the food marketing problem14).Furthermore, there are New Zealand examples where self-regulation has clearly failed. One is the inadequate response of the tobacco industry in New Zealand to follow guidelines around advertising, resulting in the Government eventually having to regulate this domain.15Fortunately, New Zealand takes a mandatory regulations approach with many products, including pharmaceuticals, hazardous chemicals, firearms and product safety in general (eg, aspects of car design). Furthermore, the Government used regulatory powers to phase out asbestos imports, leaded petrol, and regulations have helped to eradicate various infectious diseases eg, hydatids and brucellosis.In the food area, New Zealand uses regulations to prohibit microbiological contamination by some micro-organisms (such as Salmonella) and there is the illustrative case of the long-term, food-borne campylobacteriosis epidemic in New Zealand. Major progress in dealing with this epidemic only came once the New Zealand Government started to set regulations around campylobacter contamination levels in fresh poultry. This regulation triggered a marked 54% reduction in disease burden16 and appears to have also reduced the burden of an associated neurological disease as well.17Given the extent of the obesity epidemic in New Zealand,4 and its preventable costs to the nation of at least three-quarters of a billion dollars a year,18 it seems high time to follow these past successful approaches and start mandatory regulation of unhealthy food marketing.Yet even when regulation is put in place, there is a risk that industry deception can still occur. The recent international situation with Volkswagen and its diesel emissions testing software is illustrative.19 This suggests that even a very large company may attempt to risk its quality brand value by deceiving regulators.So, not only should policy-makers be very cautious about industry claims for the value of self-regulation but, given situations like the Volkswagen saga, they should also consider better funding of regulatory science.20 Mandatory regulations, combined with science-based monitoring may then start to have an impact around further protecting the public from unhealthy products including the marketing of unhealthy food.
Summary
Abstract
Aim
Method
Results
Conclusion
Author Information
Acknowledgements
Correspondence
Correspondence Email
Competing Interests
- Rich K. Comment on: Getting serious about protecting New Zealand children against unhealthy food marketing. N Z Med J. 2015;128(1422):85-87. Wilson N, Quigley R, Mansoor O. Food ads on TV: a health hazard for children? Aust N Z J Public Health. 1999;23:647-50. Hastings G, McDermott L, Angus K, et al., The extent, nature and effects of food promotion to children: A review of the evidence. Technical paper prepared for the World Health Organization. 2006, World Health Organization. Ministry of Health, Annual Update of Key Results 2013/14: New Zealand Health Survey. 2014, Ministry of Health: Wellington. Jenkin G, Wilson N, Hermanson N. Identifying unhealthy food advertising on television: a case study applying the UK Nutrient Profile model. Public Health Nutr. 2009;12:614-23. Wilson N, Signal L, Nicholls S, et al. Marketing fat and sugar to children on New Zealand television. Prev Med. 2006;42:96-101. Maher A, Wilson N, Signal L. Advertising and availability of obesogenic foods around New Zealand secondary schools: a pilot study. N Z Med J. 2005;118:U1556. Maher A, Wilson N, Signal L, et al. Patterns of sports sponsorship by gambling, alcohol and food companies: an Internet survey. BMC Public Health. 2006;6:95. Wilson N, Signal L, Nicholls S, et al. Hazardous and beneficial nutritional messages in 858 televised food advertisements during childrens viewing hours. N Z Med J. 2006;119:U1967. Richards R, Darling H, Reeder AI. Sponsorship and fund-raising in New Zealand schools: implications for health. Aust N Z J Public Health. 2005;29:331-6. Carter MA, Signal L, Edwards R, et al. Food, fizzy, and football: promoting unhealthy food and beverages through sport - a New Zealand case study. BMC Public Health. 2013;13:126. No E, Kelly B, Devi A, et al. Food references and marketing in popular magazines for children and adolescents in New Zealand: a content analysis. Appetite. 2014;83:75-81. Devi A, Eyles H, Rayner M, et al. Nutritional quality, labelling and promotion of breakfast cereals on the New Zealand market. Appetite. 2014;81:253-60. Vandevijvere S, Swinburn B. Getting serious about protecting New Zealand children against unhealthy food marketing. N Z Med J. 2015;128(1428):36-40. Thomson G, Wilson N. The Tobacco Industry in New Zealand\u202f: A Case Study of the Behaviour of Multinational Companies. Public Health Monograph Series. Wellington: University of Otago. http://www.otago.ac.nz/wellington/otago022957.pdf 2002. Sears A, Baker MG, Wilson N, et al. Marked campylobacteriosis decline after interventions aimed at poultry, New Zealand. Emerg Infect Dis. 2011;17:1007-15. Baker MG, Kvalsvig A, Zhang J, et al. Declining Guillain-Barre syndrome after campylobacteriosis control, New Zealand, 1988-2010. Emerg Infect Dis. 2012;18:226-33. Lal A, Moodie M, Ashton T, et al. Health care and lost productivity costs of overweight and obesity in New Zealand. Australian N Z J Public Health. 2012;36:550-556. Schiermeier Q. The science behind the Volkswagen emissions scandal. Nature News. 2015;(25 September). Nature. Testing times [Editorial]. Nature. 2015;526:5.-
For the PDF of this article,
contact nzmj@nzma.org.nz
Mandatory regulation or self-regulation in the age of the Volkswagen saga
View Article PDF
A recent letter to the NZMJ by a food industry executive1 states that past work (by some of us)2 was of historical interest only . Furthermore, the letter claimed that industry self-regulation of food marketing is very effective and increasingly so . But there is evidence that the problem of marketing of unhealthy food in New Zealand remains a long-term, unresolved problem with significant consequences for health.3,4 This is shown by a large number of New Zealand studies,2,5-10 including ones published in 2013,11 201412,13 and an unpublished study in 2015 (described in a recent article in this Journal, which also provides a good overview of the food marketing problem14).Furthermore, there are New Zealand examples where self-regulation has clearly failed. One is the inadequate response of the tobacco industry in New Zealand to follow guidelines around advertising, resulting in the Government eventually having to regulate this domain.15Fortunately, New Zealand takes a mandatory regulations approach with many products, including pharmaceuticals, hazardous chemicals, firearms and product safety in general (eg, aspects of car design). Furthermore, the Government used regulatory powers to phase out asbestos imports, leaded petrol, and regulations have helped to eradicate various infectious diseases eg, hydatids and brucellosis.In the food area, New Zealand uses regulations to prohibit microbiological contamination by some micro-organisms (such as Salmonella) and there is the illustrative case of the long-term, food-borne campylobacteriosis epidemic in New Zealand. Major progress in dealing with this epidemic only came once the New Zealand Government started to set regulations around campylobacter contamination levels in fresh poultry. This regulation triggered a marked 54% reduction in disease burden16 and appears to have also reduced the burden of an associated neurological disease as well.17Given the extent of the obesity epidemic in New Zealand,4 and its preventable costs to the nation of at least three-quarters of a billion dollars a year,18 it seems high time to follow these past successful approaches and start mandatory regulation of unhealthy food marketing.Yet even when regulation is put in place, there is a risk that industry deception can still occur. The recent international situation with Volkswagen and its diesel emissions testing software is illustrative.19 This suggests that even a very large company may attempt to risk its quality brand value by deceiving regulators.So, not only should policy-makers be very cautious about industry claims for the value of self-regulation but, given situations like the Volkswagen saga, they should also consider better funding of regulatory science.20 Mandatory regulations, combined with science-based monitoring may then start to have an impact around further protecting the public from unhealthy products including the marketing of unhealthy food.
Summary
Abstract
Aim
Method
Results
Conclusion
Author Information
Acknowledgements
Correspondence
Correspondence Email
Competing Interests
- Rich K. Comment on: Getting serious about protecting New Zealand children against unhealthy food marketing. N Z Med J. 2015;128(1422):85-87. Wilson N, Quigley R, Mansoor O. Food ads on TV: a health hazard for children? Aust N Z J Public Health. 1999;23:647-50. Hastings G, McDermott L, Angus K, et al., The extent, nature and effects of food promotion to children: A review of the evidence. Technical paper prepared for the World Health Organization. 2006, World Health Organization. Ministry of Health, Annual Update of Key Results 2013/14: New Zealand Health Survey. 2014, Ministry of Health: Wellington. Jenkin G, Wilson N, Hermanson N. Identifying unhealthy food advertising on television: a case study applying the UK Nutrient Profile model. Public Health Nutr. 2009;12:614-23. Wilson N, Signal L, Nicholls S, et al. Marketing fat and sugar to children on New Zealand television. Prev Med. 2006;42:96-101. Maher A, Wilson N, Signal L. Advertising and availability of obesogenic foods around New Zealand secondary schools: a pilot study. N Z Med J. 2005;118:U1556. Maher A, Wilson N, Signal L, et al. Patterns of sports sponsorship by gambling, alcohol and food companies: an Internet survey. BMC Public Health. 2006;6:95. Wilson N, Signal L, Nicholls S, et al. Hazardous and beneficial nutritional messages in 858 televised food advertisements during childrens viewing hours. N Z Med J. 2006;119:U1967. Richards R, Darling H, Reeder AI. Sponsorship and fund-raising in New Zealand schools: implications for health. Aust N Z J Public Health. 2005;29:331-6. Carter MA, Signal L, Edwards R, et al. Food, fizzy, and football: promoting unhealthy food and beverages through sport - a New Zealand case study. BMC Public Health. 2013;13:126. No E, Kelly B, Devi A, et al. Food references and marketing in popular magazines for children and adolescents in New Zealand: a content analysis. Appetite. 2014;83:75-81. Devi A, Eyles H, Rayner M, et al. Nutritional quality, labelling and promotion of breakfast cereals on the New Zealand market. Appetite. 2014;81:253-60. Vandevijvere S, Swinburn B. Getting serious about protecting New Zealand children against unhealthy food marketing. N Z Med J. 2015;128(1428):36-40. Thomson G, Wilson N. The Tobacco Industry in New Zealand\u202f: A Case Study of the Behaviour of Multinational Companies. Public Health Monograph Series. Wellington: University of Otago. http://www.otago.ac.nz/wellington/otago022957.pdf 2002. Sears A, Baker MG, Wilson N, et al. Marked campylobacteriosis decline after interventions aimed at poultry, New Zealand. Emerg Infect Dis. 2011;17:1007-15. Baker MG, Kvalsvig A, Zhang J, et al. Declining Guillain-Barre syndrome after campylobacteriosis control, New Zealand, 1988-2010. Emerg Infect Dis. 2012;18:226-33. Lal A, Moodie M, Ashton T, et al. Health care and lost productivity costs of overweight and obesity in New Zealand. Australian N Z J Public Health. 2012;36:550-556. Schiermeier Q. The science behind the Volkswagen emissions scandal. Nature News. 2015;(25 September). Nature. Testing times [Editorial]. Nature. 2015;526:5.-
Contact diana@nzma.org.nz
for the PDF of this article
Mandatory regulation or self-regulation in the age of the Volkswagen saga
View Article PDF
A recent letter to the NZMJ by a food industry executive1 states that past work (by some of us)2 was of historical interest only . Furthermore, the letter claimed that industry self-regulation of food marketing is very effective and increasingly so . But there is evidence that the problem of marketing of unhealthy food in New Zealand remains a long-term, unresolved problem with significant consequences for health.3,4 This is shown by a large number of New Zealand studies,2,5-10 including ones published in 2013,11 201412,13 and an unpublished study in 2015 (described in a recent article in this Journal, which also provides a good overview of the food marketing problem14).Furthermore, there are New Zealand examples where self-regulation has clearly failed. One is the inadequate response of the tobacco industry in New Zealand to follow guidelines around advertising, resulting in the Government eventually having to regulate this domain.15Fortunately, New Zealand takes a mandatory regulations approach with many products, including pharmaceuticals, hazardous chemicals, firearms and product safety in general (eg, aspects of car design). Furthermore, the Government used regulatory powers to phase out asbestos imports, leaded petrol, and regulations have helped to eradicate various infectious diseases eg, hydatids and brucellosis.In the food area, New Zealand uses regulations to prohibit microbiological contamination by some micro-organisms (such as Salmonella) and there is the illustrative case of the long-term, food-borne campylobacteriosis epidemic in New Zealand. Major progress in dealing with this epidemic only came once the New Zealand Government started to set regulations around campylobacter contamination levels in fresh poultry. This regulation triggered a marked 54% reduction in disease burden16 and appears to have also reduced the burden of an associated neurological disease as well.17Given the extent of the obesity epidemic in New Zealand,4 and its preventable costs to the nation of at least three-quarters of a billion dollars a year,18 it seems high time to follow these past successful approaches and start mandatory regulation of unhealthy food marketing.Yet even when regulation is put in place, there is a risk that industry deception can still occur. The recent international situation with Volkswagen and its diesel emissions testing software is illustrative.19 This suggests that even a very large company may attempt to risk its quality brand value by deceiving regulators.So, not only should policy-makers be very cautious about industry claims for the value of self-regulation but, given situations like the Volkswagen saga, they should also consider better funding of regulatory science.20 Mandatory regulations, combined with science-based monitoring may then start to have an impact around further protecting the public from unhealthy products including the marketing of unhealthy food.
Summary
Abstract
Aim
Method
Results
Conclusion
Author Information
Acknowledgements
Correspondence
Correspondence Email
Competing Interests
- Rich K. Comment on: Getting serious about protecting New Zealand children against unhealthy food marketing. N Z Med J. 2015;128(1422):85-87. Wilson N, Quigley R, Mansoor O. Food ads on TV: a health hazard for children? Aust N Z J Public Health. 1999;23:647-50. Hastings G, McDermott L, Angus K, et al., The extent, nature and effects of food promotion to children: A review of the evidence. Technical paper prepared for the World Health Organization. 2006, World Health Organization. Ministry of Health, Annual Update of Key Results 2013/14: New Zealand Health Survey. 2014, Ministry of Health: Wellington. Jenkin G, Wilson N, Hermanson N. Identifying unhealthy food advertising on television: a case study applying the UK Nutrient Profile model. Public Health Nutr. 2009;12:614-23. Wilson N, Signal L, Nicholls S, et al. Marketing fat and sugar to children on New Zealand television. Prev Med. 2006;42:96-101. Maher A, Wilson N, Signal L. Advertising and availability of obesogenic foods around New Zealand secondary schools: a pilot study. N Z Med J. 2005;118:U1556. Maher A, Wilson N, Signal L, et al. Patterns of sports sponsorship by gambling, alcohol and food companies: an Internet survey. BMC Public Health. 2006;6:95. Wilson N, Signal L, Nicholls S, et al. Hazardous and beneficial nutritional messages in 858 televised food advertisements during childrens viewing hours. N Z Med J. 2006;119:U1967. Richards R, Darling H, Reeder AI. Sponsorship and fund-raising in New Zealand schools: implications for health. Aust N Z J Public Health. 2005;29:331-6. Carter MA, Signal L, Edwards R, et al. Food, fizzy, and football: promoting unhealthy food and beverages through sport - a New Zealand case study. BMC Public Health. 2013;13:126. No E, Kelly B, Devi A, et al. Food references and marketing in popular magazines for children and adolescents in New Zealand: a content analysis. Appetite. 2014;83:75-81. Devi A, Eyles H, Rayner M, et al. Nutritional quality, labelling and promotion of breakfast cereals on the New Zealand market. Appetite. 2014;81:253-60. Vandevijvere S, Swinburn B. Getting serious about protecting New Zealand children against unhealthy food marketing. N Z Med J. 2015;128(1428):36-40. Thomson G, Wilson N. The Tobacco Industry in New Zealand\u202f: A Case Study of the Behaviour of Multinational Companies. Public Health Monograph Series. Wellington: University of Otago. http://www.otago.ac.nz/wellington/otago022957.pdf 2002. Sears A, Baker MG, Wilson N, et al. Marked campylobacteriosis decline after interventions aimed at poultry, New Zealand. Emerg Infect Dis. 2011;17:1007-15. Baker MG, Kvalsvig A, Zhang J, et al. Declining Guillain-Barre syndrome after campylobacteriosis control, New Zealand, 1988-2010. Emerg Infect Dis. 2012;18:226-33. Lal A, Moodie M, Ashton T, et al. Health care and lost productivity costs of overweight and obesity in New Zealand. Australian N Z J Public Health. 2012;36:550-556. Schiermeier Q. The science behind the Volkswagen emissions scandal. Nature News. 2015;(25 September). Nature. Testing times [Editorial]. Nature. 2015;526:5.-
Contact diana@nzma.org.nz
for the PDF of this article
Mandatory regulation or self-regulation in the age of the Volkswagen saga
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