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About Which? No advertising, no bias, no hidden agenda

Government must act now to keep pace with kids' food promotions across the board

13 October 2008

In response to the Department of Health report Changes in food and drink advertising and promotion to children, published today, Clare Corbett, food campaigner, Which?, says:

“This report provides yet more evidence that the Government must work with the food industry to develop a robust code to restrict all types of promotions of less healthy foods to children. To simply promise to ‘keep our eye’ on things just isn’t good enough.

“We’re not anti-advertising, nor do we think that restricting less healthy food promotions is the single remedy to end childhood obesity and diet-related disease, but it is one area which must to be tackled to make the healthy choice easier for parents.

“Food companies need to use their creativity more responsibly to promote their healthier product ranges to children. Our latest reports* show that some companies are already moving towards this; it’s now time for others to follow suit and for Government to take some decisive action on areas outside TV.”

Notes to Editor

 

* Which? reports: Food Fables – the second sitting (July 08) The cartoon villains are still getting away with it (Oct 08) 

** Which? research has consistently demonstrated that current TV advertising restrictions do not cover the programmes that under 16s watch in the greatest numbers. For more information, please visit www.which.co.uk/kidsfood 

Which? is calling for:

  • The Government to provide clearer direction on the need to limit irresponsible marketing of less healthy foods to children and to work with industry and other stakeholders to develop and introduce restrictions covering the wide range of non-broadcast methods, such as product packaging, sponsorship and the internet, that are used to target less healthy foods to children. 
  • The CAP and BCAP groups to strengthen their codes significantly to demonstrate that they are committed to playing a responsible role in the fight against childhood obesity. The revised CAP code (following the review this year) should cover all types of promotions including the use of company-owned cartoon characters, be based on the FSA’s nutrient profiling model (to distinguish healthier/less healthy foods), and cover all children up to 16.
  • The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) to create a CAP advisory group with effective consumer representation. 
  • Individual food companies to act responsibility by developing and marketing healthier products to children and ending irresponsible promotions of foods that conflict with dietary recommendations.