Iran Bans Advertisement of Harmful Products

Last weekend, Iranian Minister of Health and Medical Education Seyyed Hassan Qazizadeh Hashemi sent letters to Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Seyyed Abbas Salehi and the chief of state broadcaster IRIB Abdolali Ali-Asgari to inform them of the ban on advertising the harmful products in all media.

An official with Iran’s Food and Drug Organisation announced that the list of harmful products has been reviewed and prioritised following a series of meetings with the health authorities, as well as the representatives of National Standard Organization.

According to the Food and Drug Organisation, these products have been classified into three groups:

Sausages, ham, all types of sandwiches and pizza, ready-to-eat frozen pizzas, Olivier salad, samosas, falafel, processed cheese, all kinds of carbonated or non-carbonated beverages, energy drinks, flavoured malt drinks, carbonated fruit drinks, cooking oils, frying oils, margarine or vegetable butter, potato chips, fried corns and beans (snacks), cocoa products, fatty desserts, and makeup products for skin and hair (lipstick, mascara, foundations, pancakes, eyeliners, lip-liners, hair dye, and sun tan lotions) are all in the Group 1 due to the existence of heavy metals and the frequency of consumption.

All types of cream cheeses, syrups and non-alcoholic drinks, high-fat sauces (mayonnaise and salad dressings) with a fat content of over 30%, sweets made from flour, toffees, candies, various anti-cellulite products and topical slimming products are in the second group of the banned products.

Group three includes semi-prepared kebab, hamburgers, edible icy products, instant drinks powder, Minerin crème, tattoo and skin design products, hair straighteners, and hair regenerators.