Chippies under threat from junk food crackdown

THOUSANDS of Britain’s chippies and takeaways are under threat as the UK Government is set to launch a crackdown on junk food.

Plans to prohibit TV commercials for unhealthy grub before the 9pm watershed were announced back in July, however, fresh talks have been circulating about tougher bans coming soon, which owners fear will finish off their damaged businesses.

New talks have been geared towards outlawing all adverts for high fat, salt and sugar products, however, these proposed plans are being strongly protested.

There are an estimated 20,000 kebab shops in the UK and 10,500 chippies, 8,500 curry houses of which many are privately run and the junk food crackdown would leave many of them under threat.

One owner has written to Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden urging him to exempt independent takeaways, kebab shops and curry houses with fewer than five outlets.

Mr Crooks, who runs a fish and chip shop, said: “These local businesses do not have multi-million pound TV marketing campaigns. For them, social media is their shop window, especially when we’re in and out of lockdown.

“Removing their ability to advertise robs them of a crucial way to reach customers, when nobody knows what the future holds and takeaways continue to have a vital role in keeping the nation fed.”

In their letter, the takeaway bosses say they have responded to the government’s health drive and that 65 per cent of outlets now offer low-fat options and 59 per cent provide products that are lower in salt.

They write: “Over the last eight months, takeaway owners and their employees have stepped up and played a crucial role in keeping the nation fed during this pandemic.

“Many more have done their bit, and more, to support thousands of frontline workers, often out of their own pocket.

“Takeaways, along with thousands of pubs, cafes and restaurants, have adapted overnight to keep feeding their communities, be it through redesigning their shops to be COVID secure, establishing measures to keep staff safe or offering delivery services for the very first time.”

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