UK regulates junk food and bolsters prospects for health food industry

The National Health Service (NHS) has begun to crack down on the promotion of unhealthy foods in an effort to reduce costs on national healthcare

The UK government has enacted a regulation that prevents late-night advertising of junk food.

The National Health Service (NHS) has begun to crack down on the promotion of unhealthy foods in an effort to reduce costs on national healthcare. Framing public health as a national struggle, the UK is setting a legislative precedent that may lead standing first-world governments in the same direction.

The decision echoes a similar 2011 campaign to ban sugary drinks in New York City, and it bears further similarities to the Japanese government’s policies on promoting physical activity and overall health. Specialty and organic food stocks to watch include Else Nutrition Holdings Inc, The Hain Celestial Group, Inc., Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc., Beyond Meat, Inc., and SunOpta Inc. 

As consumer markets expand, specialty food companies are cropping up to fulfil the demand for alternative diets. These emerging markets go hand-in-hand with the growth of corporate messaging on environmental responsibility, as many consumers begin to associate meat consumption with environmental harm.