Investigation Reveals Junk Food Sponsorship in Irish Sports

An investigation published by the British Medical Journal has uncovered extensive sponsorship deals between several prominent 'junk food' companies and various sporting entities in Ireland, raising significant public health concerns. The report, released on July 10, 2025, details 95 sponsorship agreements involving brands such as Cadbury, Kellogg's, Coca Cola, Pepsi, Just Eat, Red Bull, and Monster Energy, highlighting the pervasive influence of unhealthy food marketing in the realm of sports.

The findings emerge amid growing alarm over the impact of junk food on public health, particularly among children. Dr. Francis Finucane, a consultant endocrinologist at Galway University Hospitals, emphasizes the alarming nature of these sponsorships, noting that they are "pernicious and ubiquitous". Kellogg's, for instance, has been a long-term sponsor of GAA Cúl Camps for 14 years, while Just Eat backs the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 league and Leinster Rugby. Additionally, Cadbury has supported the Irish national women’s soccer team since 2021, and Goodfellas, a frozen pizza brand, sponsors Irish rugby.

Dr. Finucane points out that the scale of junk food sponsorship reveals a significant public health issue, with the EU sports sponsorship market estimated at €23 billion. He argues that such marketing strategies create a 'health halo effect', where unhealthy products are falsely associated with athleticism. This sentiment is echoed by Robin Ireland, a public health expert at Glasgow University’s School of Health and Wellbeing, who states, "These players are in absolute peak physical condition and they are promoting products that do not generally feature in athletes’ diets."

Daniel Murphy, a dietitian and owner of Apex Nutrition in County Cork, reinforces this perspective by indicating that the poor quality of junk food can negatively impact athletic performance. Murphy warns that the marketing tactics employed by these companies echo those historically used by tobacco firms, targeting young consumers to cultivate lifelong habits.

In response to such concerns, Dr. Finucane advocates for a public health approach akin to the smoking ban, suggesting that policymakers should implement taxation and stringent restrictions on junk food marketing and advertising. He urges officials to recognize the 'commercial determinants of health' as a pressing issue that requires legislative attention.

Despite these concerns, existing regulations from the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) of Ireland, introduced in 2021, aim to restrict the advertisement of high-fat, sugar, or salt products in venues predominantly frequented by children. However, the ASA has not upheld any complaints regarding food advertising directed at children in 2024, raising questions about the effectiveness of these guidelines.

Kellogg’s has stated that its partnership with GAA Cúl Camps complies with all regulatory requirements. Other companies mentioned in the report did not respond to inquiries about their compliance with the 2021 advertising rules. As the debate surrounding junk food sponsorship in sports continues, experts emphasize the need for educational initiatives aimed at young people to promote healthier dietary choices, suggesting that early exposure to junk food marketing can have lasting repercussions on health.

This investigation sheds light on a growing issue at the intersection of public health, marketing ethics, and sports, urging stakeholders to reconsider the implications of junk food sponsorship in the pursuit of healthier future generations.