Deadline: 6 November 2024
Nominations are now open for the most inspiring, impactful people in the world of children’s food during 2024 the unsung heroes, the creative campaigners, the local champions, the political movers and shakers, and the people going the extra mile to make sure children access healthy, sustainable and nutritious food.
The Children’s Food Campaign is on the lookout for 2024’s Yummy trailblazers who have gone the extra mile to win better food for children. They are also going to call out the Yucky villains who are getting in the way of children’s health.
They are also on the search for 2024’s Yucky villains: the most unhealthy recipe, the worst example of pester power targeted at children, the most misleading packaging and the companies getting in the way of healthy food policies.
Award Categories
- Yummy award for political leadership in championing children’s healthy food:
- This award recognises politicians and policymakers who have stuck their neck out during 2023-24 to improve children’s food, through their own initiatives, lobbying for regulations and investment and/or speaking out in public. Nominations can include MPs, peers, metropolitan mayors, leaders and politicians in the devolved nations or at local authority level. You can nominate a single political leader, or a group of politicians (such as a committee or a council).
- Yummy award for championing equality, diversity and inclusion in children’s food:
- This award recognises an individual or organisation that has changed policies or practices to make them more diverse and inclusive in 2023-24. This might be by championing ethnic diversity in provision of children’s food, or by calling out racial inequality in existing policy. Or it could be a platform led by people with first hand experience of injustice or food insecurity, or an initiative that is making food provision more accessible for children often overlooked and excluded. Nominees can be at local, regional or national level, they want to hear who the changemakers for a more diverse, inclusive children’s food sector are!
- Yucky award for the recipe most in need of change:
- What’s the most unhealthy product you’ve seen that is targetted at children and families? Is there a kids’ meal in a takeaway or restaurant chain that needs to be called out? A snack or a breakfast cereal that really belongs in the confectionery aisle? They are looking for examples of products that really should not be as sugary, salty or full of calories as they are, where you think the recipe really needs to change. You don’t have to try it, just tell us about it! The product must be on sale at some point during 2024.
- Yucky award for Children’s Food Commercial Villain:
- Who are the companies or industry bodies that are putting profit before young people, standing in the way of progress on children’s food or actively obstructing children accessing healthier food. Who are the companies talking the talk, but never walking the walk? Who are the companies bending the ears of policymakers to stop them from acting for children’s health? This award is for behaviour or an initiative in 2023-24.
- Yucky award for most misleading health claims on a product consumed by children:
- This award recognises companies using techniques to make food and drinks seem healthier than they are through questionable marketing, packaging and labelling claims. For example, sugary breakfast cereals claiming to be ‘high in fibre’, or a toddler snack that pretends to be vegetables but is just a crisp in disguise. It might be the constant use of child-friendly cartoon characters to get kids pestering parents for unhealthy products. You can nominate specific food and drink products or a company that consistently misleads parents and young people on a range of its products. The product(s) must be on sale at some point during 2024.
For more information, visit Sustain.
