Transcript Is co-regulation protecting Aussie kids from junk food ads?

Is co-regulation protecting Aussie kids
from junk food ads?
Presentation to the 18th Consumers International Congress
Protecting children from food marketing
Success stories and lessons learned
Clare Hughes
Senior Food Policy Officer
Childhood obesity in Australia
• 20 – 25% of children are overweight
or obese.
• Energy consumption increased by
10-15% between 1985 and 1997.
• NSW SPANS study:
• Children are more active
• Eating too many high energy, nutrient-poor
food such as confectionery and soft drink
Food marketing to kids
• 81% of food ads for
unhealthy/non-core
foods.
• Peaked when children
are more likely to be
watching – after
school, early evening,
Saturday mornings.
(Chapman et al, 2006)
More than just TV ads
• Online marketing techniques –
Advergames, e-cards, viral
marketing, product placement
in cyber games, screensavers
and wallpapers.
• On-pack promos – Favourite
characters, spokescharacters,
movie tie-ins, competitions,
giveaways, collectibles.
• Sports sponsorship and
fundraising
• Children’s magazines,
billboards etc
Commonwealth Government
responses
• “The Government wants to support, motivate and
educate Australians to build a healthy, active life, not
to regulate or ban.” Health Minister Tony Abbott 16 July 2006
• “Look, ads don't make people fat. What they eat
makes people fat and what goes into people's mouths
is controlled by the individual concerned. And if
parents are worried that their kids are getting fat,
well, parents can readily do something about it by
taking the soft drink out of the fridge, by taking the
fast food off the menu, by trying to ensure that the
kids walk to school rather than just get driven to
school. These are the things that we ought to do
about fat kids rather than think there's some magic
bullet by banning advertising……….This is not an area
where government can substitute for parents.” Health
Minister Tony Abbott 14 September 2005
• Food advertising is a Commonwealth responsibility
not State Health Ministers.
Co-regulation
Co-regulation in Australia
• Government
FSANZ – Food Standards Code
ACMA - Children’s Television Standards
ACCC - Trade Practices Act
• Industry
AANA Food and Beverage Marketing
Communications Code
Commercial Television Industry Code of
Practice
Children’s Television
Standards (CTS)
•
•
•
•
Content of ad must not mislead
Pressure in advertising
Clear and fair representation
Must not contain any misleading
nutrition information
• Competitions and premiums
• Endorsements by program characters
• Under review
Food and Beverage Marketing
Communication Code
• Specific to food and beverages
• Broader than just advertising
• Shall not undermine healthy
lifestyle
• Shall not encourage excessive
consumption
• Shall not encourage pestering
Codes do not adequately
address….
• Imbalance of ads for healthy v unhealthy
foods
• Children don’t just watch children’s programs
– Neighbours, The Simpsons, Australian Idol
• Use of competitions and premiums to promote
foods
• Use of celebrities, cartoon characters and
sports personalities
• Internet and other forms of promotion
Complaints processes
• Complaints directed to ACMA, broadcaster,
Free TV or Advertising Standards Bureau
depending on nature of complaint
• Requires some understanding of the
regulatory processes and/or regulations
• Complainant needs to know date, time,
program and station
• Can take some months to achieve outcome –
TV ad already had its impact
• No real sanction for breaching regulation
Consumers need a single contact point,
simpler process and effective disincentives for
breaches
Complaints
• McDonald's Happy Meal – Toy is an
integral part of the product, not a
premium
• Kellogg's Coco Pops – not aired during
children's programming
• Chuppa Chup lollipops – not target
directed to parents
• Shrek the Third – did not directly
encourage children to ask parents to
buy Shrek products
Industry
responses
1. Marketing kids’ food to parents
GSK Ribena
The claim: The blackcurrants in Ribena contain 4 x vitamin C of
oranges
The reality: Ribena does not have 4 x more vitamin C than orange
juice. Some products had less vitamin C than stated on the
NIP.
Kellogg’s Coco Pops
The claim: Trusted children’s media personality tells us that Coco
Pops are a good source of vitamins and minerals including
calcium for healthy bones.
The reality: Coco Pops are 33% sugar and a poor source of fibre.
Ferrero Nutella Hazelnut Spread
The claim: Low GI for long lasting energy – energy to live and
learn
The reality: biggest ingredient is sugar (54%), 30% total fat and
10% saturated, only 13% hazelnut. A serve of Nutella on a
serve of white bread is medium GI.
2. “There are no bad foods,
just bad diets”
• Jo Lively – “eat well, live
well, play well”
• Nestle – “Good food,
good life”
• Australian Beverage
Council - “There are no
bad foods, just bad
diets”
3. Question the evidence
Bans on advertising to children in
Norway, Sweden and Quebec have
not lead to a decline in obesity
levels
BUT
There are many factors that
contribute to obesity so an
advertising ban alone is not a
silver bullet
4. Do something else that
looks positive
• Sports sponsorship – Coca-Cola and
McDonalds sponsor Little Athletics
• Labelling initiatives e.g. Kellogg’s %DI
nutrition labelling, Coca-Cola %DI
energy
• Funding National Nutrition Survey
• McDonalds ‘Salads Plus’ menu and
nutrition information
5. Get out there before the
regulator does
• Food and Beverage Advertising and
Marketing Communications Code
• Beverage manufacturers removing
soft drink from primary schools
Public
Support
CHOICE Survey
Companies can advertise unhealthy
food and drinks during TV programs
popular with children.
• 24% said governments should stop this
completely
• 65% said governments should restrict
these practices
• 10% said governments should not restrict
these practices at all
Public Support
More than half of parents supported a
ban on advertising of unhealthy foods at
times when children were watching.
(Morley, 2007)
20,521 people signed the Cancer Council
‘Pull the Plug’ postcard campaign calling
for the Children’s Televisions Standards
to protect children from junk food
advertising.
Is co-regulation protecting Aussie
kids from junk food ads?
Australian Association of National Advertisers say:
 100% compliance over the last 10 years
 Enhances health and wellbeing of consumers by providing
protection against advertising & marketing communications
considered to promote unhealthy or unsafe practices.
 A reflection of prevailing community standards
 Expressly prohibits the exploitation of pester power which is
allowable under existing law
 To date the ‘name and shame’ principle has been regarded as
sufficient penalty
Is co-regulation protecting Aussie
kids from junk food ads?
CHOICE says:
 In theory, co-regulation could protect children from junk food
marketing.
 In reality, government standards don’t go far enough and
improvements to industry codes have failed to deliver any
meaningful change.
 The current system does not adequately cover all forms of media
and practices used to market foods to children.
 The complex complaints system does not encourage consumer
participation.
 Existing sanctions do little to deter non-compliance.
For more information…
…about our food marketing campaign visit
www.choice.com.au/foodmarketing
or go to
www.choicefoodforkids.com.au
…about CHOICE campaigns visit
www.choice.com.au/campaigns
Clare Hughes - Senior Food Policy Officer
[email protected]