The report, A Junk-Free Childhood: Responsible Standards for Marketing Foods and Beverages to Children, is published by the not-for-profit organisation the International Association for the Study of Obesity (IASO).
In a review of industry practices undertaken by IASO, author Dr Tim Lobstein says that food company competition is leading to large numbers of food advertisements and promotions targeting children, despite promises from leading companies that these marketing efforts would cease.
According to the report, the industry’s self-regulation, which the European Commission relies on for controlling child exposure to junk food advertising, is failing, with no consistency over:
“The consequences,” he says, “are very low standards of control and continued exposure of children to powerful inducements to eat a junk food diet.
“Among the voluntary pledges, we found a wide range of nutrition criteria describing what the industry would voluntarily restrict. We found disagreement concerning what age the rules should apply, and whether or not company-owned websites should be included in self-regulations. We also found big gaps in what was covered, with companies disagreeing about the use of toys with products, brands in ‘advergames’, and equity brand characters like Tony the Tiger and Quiky the Nesquik bunny.
“Companies can now use new technologies to encourage children to market to each other and by-pass any parental controls.
“The situation is chaotic. The food industry is highly competitive and a company will always put its own interests first. The children’s food market is worth billions of euros and the struggle for access is tantamount to civil war in the food industry. In this context, self-regulation is ineffective and only serves to defer proper controls.
“The European Commission’s approach is too soft. We need standards for marketing to children to be set by governments, not industry, and for health to be the priority, not market expansion.”
The report is part of the StanMark project which aims to promote responsible standards for marketing food and beverages to children.
Source: IASO
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