Campaigner warns junk food ad ban leaves children exposed through brand promotions

A youth food campaigner who began pressing for restrictions on junk food advertising as a teenager says new UK rules still allow fast food brands to reach children through logos and slogans.

Dev Sharma, now 20, said a brand exemption written into the law means companies can continue advertising imagery and music linked to high fat, salt and sugar foods without showing the products themselves. The ban, which took effect this week, bars HFSS product adverts on television before 9pm and online at all times.

Sharma described the exemption as the result of food industry lobbying and said it weakens protections for children. He argued that brand campaigns can have the same effect as product adverts, shaping preferences from an early age.

“This ban has more loopholes than a box of Cheerios,” Sharma said. “A company can still play its jingle to children watching videos after school. The branding does the work even when the food stays off screen.”

The law allows companies such as McDonald's to continue brand only advertising featuring logos, mascots and slogans. Sharma said this approach keeps marketing visible across digital platforms and public spaces, including social media feeds and transport advertising.

He said his own experience as a school pupil showed how advertising followed children through their day, from online platforms to streets near schools. According to Sharma, the new rules remove product images yet leave the wider marketing presence intact.

Sharma began campaigning from his home in Leicester while still at school, after repeated food adverts interrupted online study videos. He launched an open letter to then prime minister Boris Johnson, which gathered tens of thousands of signatures and drew support from figures including Jamie Oliver. The policy later appeared in the Queen’s Speech.

Six years on, Sharma said the same marketing methods continue to reach children. He said the government’s estimate that the ban will remove billions of calories from children’s diets does not reflect the impact of brand advertising.

Health organisations including Obesity Health Alliance and Action on Salt have also criticised the exemption, arguing that it undermines public health aims.

Sharma is calling for a formal review of the exemption within six months and for tighter rules by 2027. He said children need protection that limits exposure to junk food marketing in all its forms.

Sharma is studying Human, Social and Political Sciences at University of Cambridge and continues to work on food policy issues.