The guidelines will also define the types of food that are considered ‘undesirable’, depending on their nutritional content.
Health minister Gan Kim Yong said the forthcoming guidelines will mainly target children under 12 years old and will initially focus on TV programmes and children’s magazines.
“Studies have shown that advertisements in our mass media do have an influence on our young children’s food choices, as well as their preference for purchase requests through their parents,” said Gan Kim Yong, “so it’s important for us to see how we can work together to strengthen our guidelines and our system, our rules on advertisements on F&B products that carry high fat, high salt and high sugar content.
“The guidelines will also specify what the foods are that will be classified as undesirable. Basically, we’ll look at the content of each food.”
Speaking to the media, he said the Health Promotion Board’s discussions with media companies and food manufacturers have shown that “all of us are on the same page”.
The guidelines will be presented following a four-week public consultation to be launched in November via the Health Promotion Board website.
On 29 October, 14 leading food and beverage companies, supported by Food Industry Asia and WFA, pledged to change the way they advertise to children through the launch of the Responsible Advertising to Children Pledge.
From 1 January 2013, the signatories …
… commit to no longer advertise any of their products to children under 12 unless they meet nutritional criteria agreed on the basis of accepted scientific evidence or applicable national and international dietary guidelines.
They have also committed not to engage in any product communication in primary schools unless requested by, or agreed with, the school administration for educational purposes or to promote active, healthy living.
Pledge signatories will publish their individual commitments by 1 January 2013 and regular independent monitoring will be carried out to demonstrate compliance.
Source: World Federation of Advertisers
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2024