Does the industry use loopholes to advertise to children?
According to the Children’s Food Campaign (CFC) and the British Heart Foundation (BHF), junk food companies are using loopholes in advertising rules to bombard children with unhealthy food messages online.
The joint report notes that companies such as Kellogg’s, Cadbury and Rowntree have also set up websites with games, prizes and free gifts that are targeted at children.
It states how junk food manufacturers bombard kids online to push these unhealthy products. All the brands featured in the report are products, which are high in fat, salt or sugar (HFSS). Advertisements for these products can’t be shown during children’s television programmes because they fail the Food Standards Agency and Ofcom nutrient profiling test. Yet due to a loophole in advertising regulations, companies are allowed to market these products and brands freely via the internet.
Health experts are warning websites such as Facebook and Twitter are being used as marketing tools by large food companies to enable them to target their advertising campaigns at young children.
Such websites were described as a “cynical marketing” technique in the report that force unhealthy food that is high in salt, sugar and fat on young children. Despite there being laws in place regarding online advertisements that could encourage unhealthy eating habits the report claims the restrictions are not enough.
Commenting on the report, the BHF’s Policy Manager, Mubeen Bhutta, says, “Junk food manufacturers are preying on children and targeting them with fun and games they know will hold their attention. Regulation protects our children from these cynical marketing tactics while they’re watching their favourite television programmes but there is no protection when they are online.”
Websites criticised in the report include those from Kellogg’s for its Krave cereal, Cheestrings, Nesquik, Sugar Puffs, Capri-Sun, Rowntree, Chupa Chups and Cadbury Buttons.
However, the Food and Drink Federations’ director of Communications Terry Jones says, “It is disappointing that the report authors have been highly selective over the information presented in order to make yet another of their seasonal attacks on the food industry. They have highlighted aspects of our members’ on-line marketing that support their agenda but consciously ignored the many other positive aspects that demonstrate the industry’s responsible approach. For example, the sites are clearly branded, there is no attempt to mislead consumers and parental interaction is encouraged.”
“Advertising in the UK is well governed and rules have recently been revised to include on line material. FDF worked with the Advertising Standards Authority before their introduction to ensure that our member companies were fully aware of the new responsibilities. The BHF and CFC are implying that parents are incapable of managing their child’s social media experiences and diet and can only be brought to heel by limiting their internet viewing. Most parents will find this extremely offensive.”
