Guidelines for Responsible Food Marketing to Kids

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. Since 1971, CSPI has been working to improve the public's health through its work on nutrition, food safety, and alcohol issues. CSPI is supported primarily by the 850,000 subscribers to its Nutrition Action Healthletter and philanthropic foundations.Guidelines for Responsible Food Marketing to Children These Guidelines for Responsible Food Marketing to Children are for food manufacturers, restaurants, supermarkets, television and radio stations, movie studios, magazines, public relations and advertising agencies, schools, toy and video game manufacturers, organizers of sporting or children's events, and others who manufacture, sell, market, advertise, or otherwise promote food to children. The Guidelines provide criteria for marketing food to children in a manner that does not undermine children's diets or harm their health. We hope the Guidelines will be helpful to parents, school officials, legislators, community and health organizations, and others who are seeking to improve children's diets.Editor's Note: Pertinent excerpts follow. To read the full report, click the icon at right.Marketing TechniquesWhen marketing foods to children, companies should:Should not advertise nutritionally poor choices during television shows for which more than a quarter of the audience is children. Should not use product or brand placements for low-nutrition foods in media aimed at children, such as movies, television shows, video games, websites, books, and textbooks. Only offer premiums and incentives (such as toys, trading cards, apparel, club memberships, products for points, contests, reduced-price specials, or coupons) with foods, meals, and brands that meet the nutrition criteria described above. Use/allow licensing agreements or cross-promotions (such as with movies, television programs, or video games) or use cartoon/fictional characters or celebrities from television, movies, music, or sports to market to children only those foods that meet the above nutrition criteria. This includes depictions on food packages, in ads, as premiums, and for in-store promotions. Should not put logos, brand names, spokes-characters, product names, or other marketing for low-nutrition foods/brands on baby bottles, children's apparel, books, toys, dishware, or other merchandise made specifically for children. Incorporate into games (such as board, Internet, or video games), toys, or books only those products and brands that meet the nutrition criteria. Use sponsorship of sporting, school, and other events for children only with brands and foods that meet the above nutrition criteria. Should not exploit children's natural tendency to play by building entertainment value into low-nutrition foods (for example, products such as mechanical lollipops, food shaped like cartoon characters, or sugary drink mixes that turn to surprise colors).Additional guidance for retail stores (such as grocery, toy, convenience, and video stores) Replace low-nutrition foods with more healthful foods or non-food items at checkout aisles or counters. Do not position in-store displays for low-nutrition foods or place low-nutrition products on shelves at young children's eye level. Cluster cookies, chips, candy, soda, and other food categories that are predominantly of poor nutritional quality in a few designated aisles of grocery stores to allow parents to skip those aisles if they choose.

Guidelines for Responsible Food Marketing to Kids

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