Restricting outdoor advertising of unhealthy food: feasibility of using a nutrition classification system in Australia.

OBJECTIVE

Exposure to food advertising is associated with consumption. Globally, most outdoor food advertisements feature unhealthy foods or beverages. As Australian local government areas (LGAs) begin developing restriction policies, the feasibility of applying nutrient-based nutrition classification systems to outdoor advertising requires evaluation.

DESIGN

Observational study on (1) types of food business advertisements outdoors and (2) availability of quantitative nutrition and/or ingredient information for featured products. 178 outdoor advertisements were analysed, from a 500m audit around schools in sixteen stratified LGAs (2019), along with bus shelter audits in four LGAs (2022). Advertisements were categorised as featuring 'branded packaged products', 'food service product - chain', 'food service product - independent', 'branding only' or 'incidental food/beverage'. For packaged or food service advertisements, online searches were conducted to identify product-specific nutrition information.

SETTING

Metropolitan Perth, Australia.

RESULTS

Advertisements featured packaged products (34 % of advertisements), food service products - chain (21 %), independent (16 %), incidental food/beverage (18 %) and branding only (11 %). Nutrition information was located for 70 % of packaged products and 68 % of chain food service advertisements. Independent food service outlets provided no nutrition data and rarely depicted identifiable products. Overall, nutrition information was available for 45 % of advertisements and ingredient information for 35 %.

CONCLUSIONS

The limited availability of quantitative data constrains the application of nutrient-based nutrition classification systems. A system based primarily on food categories, with nutrient limits for some categories and a robust approach to brand advertising, likely offers a practical and impactful approach for LGAs seeking to restrict unhealthy outdoor food advertising.