AANA slams junk food ad ban on first day of SA rollout

July 1, 2025 10:25

The South Australian Government’s ban on junk food ads on public transport comes into effect today, July 1, but confusion surrounds how ‘junk food’ is defined and what meets the eligibility criteria.

In January, Peter Malinauskas’ Labor Government proposed a ban of junk food advertising on government assets across Adelaide — buses, trams, and trains — as a way to tackle the growing obesity problem in the state.

There have been calls for other state governments and Canberra to adopt similar bans.

“Each year, big brands spend millions of dollars on catchy slogans and appealing ads to encourage South Australian children to consume more highly processed foods containing high fat, high salt and high sugar,” Chris Picton, SA Minister for Health, said at the time.

“Banning these ads in some of the key places they are seen regularly – especially by children – is a sensible step towards a healthier South Australia.”

The ban has previously been met with resistance from national advertising bodies — the AANA and OMA — who have claimed it “will be ineffective”. Speaking at the OMA conference in May, advertising expert Dee Madigan said the ban isn’t just inconsistent, it is “insulting”.

“What’s the difference between, say a Filet-O-Fish and a Tim Tam?” she asked conference attendees. “Why can you advertise one and not the other? Arnold’s employs 4,000 people through the Australia and Asia Pacific region. What would it do to their business if we can’t advertise those?

“What about orange juice? It’s got a lot of sugar. You know, even fructose, it’s natural sugar – not particularly good for you. At what point can we stop advertising that?”

With the change coming into effect today, the AANA has again raised concerns, claiming South Australia has “declare[d] war” on products that fit the eligibility criteria.

The policy defines unhealthy food or drink products per the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Health Council’s ‘National interim guide to reduce children’s exposure to unhealthy food and drink promotion’, a guide created in 2018 for voluntary use by governments.

However, the COAG Health Council’s guide does not have a specific definition itself, only a list of items it does not recommend for promotion.

The COAG Health Council’s list of food and drink not recommended for promotion. [Click to enlarge]

As a result of the debatable definition and criteria, some products, which the AANA has described as “humble pantry staples” — like fortified soy milk and rice cakes — have been included in the ban.

“The policy sends a contradictory message to consumers and undermines trust in health-based initiatives,” Josh Faulks, CEO of the AANA, said in a release. “The government is effectively discouraging people from consuming what are widely considered to be nutritious core foods.”

He called for the implementation of this policy to be based on credible, evidence-based criteria.

“The government has not been able to clearly articulate what is in and what is out of their banned list and has told businesses to submit their ads to an expert panel for assessment if they are unsure. This list should be science-based, objective and create certainty for business, not create more confusion,” Faulks said.

The AANA is instead urging the South Australian Government to adopt the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) Nutrient Profiling Scoring Criteria to “improve clarity, consistency, and alignment” with national nutrition policies.

The criteria were developed by the independent statutory agency, which was established by the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991 and is part of the Australian Government’s Health portfolio.

The government should engage with industry stakeholders and adopt a “practical, consistent, and science-backed approach”, according to the AANA. The industry body argues this would create certainty for business and genuinely support public health, without compromising economic activity.

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Lauren McNamara

Lauren McNamara is a freelance journalist. She previously spent three years at Mumbrella, most recently as the associate editor. She left her staff role in August 2025.