Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for bringing the chamber’s attention back to the important issue of supporting healthy eating habits for everyone, including children, which we dealt with in the past.

With regard to the code you mentioned, I have been advised the code would only apply to its members, and only on a voluntary basis. While many of Canada’s food and beverage industry stakeholders are members of the signatory associations, I understand the code would not apply to a large number of small- and medium-sized enterprises as well as some large retailers and companies. Instead of adopting a voluntary code that may or may not apply to a given industry member, Health Canada issued a policy update two months ago — in April 2023 — with regard to restricting the advertising of food and beverages to children, starting with the advertising on television and in digital media. I have been advised that this policy update, which is the first step in the drafting of regulations, was informed by extensive consultations with the industry and partners between 2016 and 2019.