Consumer advocates demand ban on influencer advertising for junk food!

Consumer advocates demand ban on influencer advertising for junk food!

The discussion about the advertising of unhealthy foods by influencers on social media is gaining momentum. According to a report by Consumerzentrale.de, influencers often promote products that are harmful to health, such as fatty snacks and sugary drinks. This has led to calls for a ban on these advertising practices.

A survey conducted on behalf of the Federal Association of Consumer Organizations shows that 72 percent of consumers want stricter legal regulation for influencer advertising. What is particularly alarming is that 26 percent of those surveyed use social media specifically to search for information about nutrition and of these, 36 percent have bought products that were promoted by influencers at least once.

Need for political action

Ramona Pop, board member of the Federal Association of Consumer Organizations, highlights the problem of dubious nutritional recommendations. She emphasizes that advertising for unhealthy products, especially when aimed at young people or children, is particularly worrying. The consumer advice centers are therefore calling for a ban on influencer advertising for unhealthy foods in order to protect the health of the population.

According to the survey, 23 percent of those surveyed even bought products advertised by influencers several times. This shows the influence that this advertising has on purchasing behavior. The federal government is called on to take action and ban influencers from advertising products that do not meet the nutritional criteria of the World Health Organization (WHO).

The rules of advertising

Another critical point is that advertising for unhealthy products often does not meet the requirements of the European Health Claims Regulation. Influencers often do not label their posts as advertising and make exaggerated health promises, which deceives consumers.

Food monitoring in Germany is faced with the task of ensuring compliance with the Health Claims Regulation, but there is a lack of a stronger focus on social media. The consumer advice centers see an urgent need for political decisions in order to actively protect the health of the population.

Overall, the situation shows how interdependent modern advertising and consumers' nutritional awareness are. The Federal Association of Consumer Organizations is clearly in favor of a ban on influencer advertising for unhealthy foods in order to control and regulate the waves of consumer behavior that arise from the influence of social media.

For a comprehensive overview of the results of the survey and the demands of the consumer advice centers, you can download the reports consumer centre.de and vzbv.de read up.