Several associations have launched a petition to obtain a framework for advertising aimed at children, by prohibiting the promotion on screens (television and Internet) of unhealthy foods.
- 90% of children’s advertisements are for junk food products, on television and on the internet.
- The associations want to ban children’s advertisements for products whose Nutri-Score is D or E.
The war on junk food ads aimed at children is on. UFC-Que Choisir and six other consumer, parent, family and patient associations have started a petition asking to ban advertisements for food products rated D or E on the Nutri-Score and intended for children, on television and on the Internet. At the end of June, Public Health France published a study in which it recommends tightening the rules on advertisements for products that are too fatty, sweet and salty in order to avoid exposing children to them.
88% of children’s spots on poorly rated products
The associations rely on a study, published Wednesday, September 16, based on the viewing of 448 hours of television and the analysis of 7,150 commercials. On these programs, they looked at whether professionals in the agri-food industry had respected their commitment, made 13 years ago, to reduce advertising pressure. The results showed the presence of “‘junk food’ in almost 90% of food advertisements aimed at children.” If the advertisements for foods for all audiences present a fairly balanced distribution of products from the 5 Nutri-Score classes, the advertisements aimed at children present them in “overabundance of products that are too fatty, too sweet or too salty.” The associations revealed that “88% of the spots relate to foods with Nutri-Score ‘D’ and ‘E’, i.e. the two most unfavorable classifications from a nutritional point of view.”
The purpose of the petition is “to challenge the public authorities” and of “protect children from abuses of food marketing”, wrote the associations in a press release. Ultimately, they want to obtain “a law of moralization of food marketing”. “While the commitments of the food industry promoted by the public authorities are a failure and the level of childhood obesity is alarming, there is more than ever urgency to act to obtain a framework for advertising aimed at children by prohibiting the promotion on screens (television and Internet) of foods whose consumption must be limited“, they say.
A practical guide for children
Their studydemonstrates the inability of current regulatory and voluntary provisions to protect children from the excesses of food marketing.” The various associations have highlighted “the links between alarming levels of childhood obesity, unhealthy diets and marketing”.
To help parents, a guide will be put in place for parents. “In the absence of generalization of the Nutri-Score, a small practical guide is made available to parents, giving concrete nutritional advice for each moment of consumption and indicating the Nutri-Score of 114 foods intended for children, for each moment of consumption”, they wrote.
Childhood obesity is gaining ground. While 3% of children were affected in 1960, it is now 17% who are affected today, i.e. “one in six children”, noted Alain Bazot, president of the UFC-Que Choisir, on Franceinfo.
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