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Consumers International (CI) is the only independent global campaigning voice for consumers. With over 220 member organisations in 115 countries we are building a powerful international consumer movement to help protect and empower consumers everywhere. Consumers International is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee in the UK (company number 4337865) and a registered charity (number 1122155). For more information, visit www.consumersinternational.org
This report is part of Junk Food Generation the Consumers International campaign to stop the marketing of unhealthy food to children www.junkfoodgeneration.org
Cereal Offences
A wake-up call on the marketing of unhealthy food to children
ISBN 978-0-9560297-1-3 Published by Consumers International in October 2008
Credits
This report was written by Dr Tim Lobstein, with the assistance of Justin Macmullan, Tom McGrath and Johanna Witt at CI. Key reviewers of the report included Sue Davies from Which? (UK), Luke Upchurch and Rosalchen Whitecross at CI. Thirty-two CI member organisations conducted research in their own countries, coordinated by the International Consumer Research and Testing (ICRT) organisation. Design and typesetting: Andrea Carter
Contents
Executive summary__________________________________________________7 Call for action ______________________________________________________9 Introduction ______________________________________________________10 Research methods__________________________________________________11 Evidence for action ________________________________________________12 Key findings from this research ____________________________________12 The nutritional quality of breakfast cereals marketed to children __12 Sugar in cereals marketed to children ____________________________13 Salt in cereals marketed to children ______________________________15 Fat in cereals marketed to children ______________________________16 Country differences ____________________________________________17 Marketing tactics __________________________________________________18 Labelling and packaging __________________________________________18 On-pack promotion of cereals sold to children ____________________18 Examples of methods used to reassure parents and carers __________22 Off-pack promotion ____________________________________________24 Television advertising __________________________________________25 Websites ______________________________________________________26 Information to guide healthy purchases __________________________28 Front-of-pack signalling ________________________________________29 What the companies say ____________________________________________31 Conclusions and recommendations __________________________________34 Endnotes __________________________________________________________37
Note: Products described in this report were examined in or around April 2008. The formulations, packaging and promotional marketing may have changed and the results reported here may not be applicable to products available subsequently.
Executive summary
Breakfast cereals are a valuable and expanding market, especially for the two leading multinational manufacturers, Kelloggs and Nestl1. The growth in the market is, in no small part, a result of the marketing by these two companies that successfully portrays breakfast cereals as suitable for children and a healthy way for children to start the day. This study, carried out by 32 consumer organisations around the world, all members of Consumers International (CI), looked at a number of breakfast cereals marketed to children. For the purposes of this report we focus on 13 varieties available in markets around the world and manufactured by Kelloggs and Nestl. However many of the tactics highlighted in this report are used across the industry and we have occassionally included examples from other companies. The results paint a very different picture to the one created by the companies marketing campaigns. The reality is that popular cereal varieties manufactured by Kelloggs and Nestl and marketed to children, routinely contain excessive amounts of added salt or added sugar. Several popular cereal products were found to have higher levels of salt than is found in potato snacks or salted nuts, some were even as salty as seawater. Other varieties contained so much added sugar that they were found to be sweeter than cookies or iced doughnuts. In the light of these results CI believes that the cartoon characters, celebrity tie-ins, TV advertising and websites that Kelloggs and Nestl deploy to market their products that are high in sugar and salt to children and their parents are irresponsible and should be stopped. Many parents will no doubt be shocked to discover the levels of sugar and salt in many breakfast cereals. However, such irresponsible marketing also risks
Executive summary
problem an international code, adopted and monitored by the WHO, would provide much needed guidance for governments around the world. CI is not against the marketing of food, however we believe that the marketing of energy-dense, nutrient-poor
foods that are high in fat, sugar and salt to children is irresponsible. Companies should reformulate their products and compete to market healthier options. A clear signal from the WHO and national governments that they will take action against the marketing of unhealthy food to children can only help to promote such strategy.
Executive Summary
Introduction
The market for breakfast cereals has been growing steadily for over a century, and in the last decade has been particularly focussed on expansion in countries such as China and South East Asia where the consumption of milk-based dishes is not traditional. This expansion forms part of the wider nutrition transition in which traditional diets have given way to diets based on mass-produced foods, including snacks, candy, soft drinks and desserts. Behind the changing face of food consumption lies a large food processing and marketing business, with food companies spending some $16.4bn in 2006 to advertise and promote their products.3 The market for breakfast cereals is a significant part of this just two companies (Kelloggs and General Mills) spent $1.5bn promoting cereal products in 2006. Much of this is spent on the promotion of cereals sold as suitable for children. The changing pattern of food consumption has led to concerns about the health consequences. Rising rates of obesity among both adults and, most recently, among children, along with the risk of diabetes and heart disease, led the WHO to launch a global strategy to tackle chronic non-communicable diseases in 2004.4 This explicitly identifies health problems to be caused by the excess consumption of fat, sugar and salt, along with insufficient intake of fruit, vegetables, pulses and wholegrain cereals. Furthermore, the WHO strategy stated Food advertising affects food choices and influences dietary habits. Food and beverage advertisements should not exploit childrens inexperience or credulity. Messages that encourage unhealthy dietary practices or physical inactivity should be discouraged, and positive, healthy messages encouraged. Governments should work with consumer groups and the private sector (including advertising) to develop appropriate multi-sectoral approaches to deal with the marketing of food to children, and to deal with such issues as sponsorship, promotion and advertising. 5
Food companies spent some $16.4bn in 2006 to advertise and promote their products.
While breakfast cereals have the potential to be a source of beneficial whole grains, there is increasing concern that the high levels of sugar in some products takes them out of the realm of cereal foods and into the realm of cookies, candy and desserts In the present study, the focus was on the quality of breakfast cereals marketed as particularly suitable for children, in order to ask whether the products were nutritionally suitable, whether there were substantial inconsistencies in the quality of products between different countries, and whether products were being promoted in fair and acceptable ways.
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Introduction
Research methods
Breakfast cereal products clearly being marketed as suitable for children were purchased in 32 countries (see Box 1) during April 2008. Thirteen products (see Table 1) were found on sale in many countries and were therefore suitable for comparison in this report. The labels of the selected products were examined and the content of the products were sent to laboratories for chemical analysis to determine the levels of fat, sugar and salt (sodium chloride). In nearly all the countries recordings were made of childrens prime-time television programmes during April Kelloggs Choco Krispies Coco Pops Box 1: Coco Rocks Chocos Froot Loops Europe Belgium Czech Republic Denmark France Germany Ireland Italy Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland UK Asia and Pacific Australia Fiji Islands Hong Kong India Indonesia Malaysia New Zealand Russia South Korea Thailand Americas USA Argentina Brazil Chile Peru Africa Kenya Frosties Frosties Reduced Sugar Rice Krispies Smacks Nestl Cheerios Chocapic Cookie Crisp Estrelitas/Honey Stars Nesquik 8 10 10 7 22 24 9 13 10 25 7 12 9 2008 and these were examined for the nature and extent of commercial advertising of breakfast cereals. Table 1:
Please note that some products are marketed under slightly different names in different countries. Additional information was gained from studying products sampled in only a few countries.
Research methods
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In one sample (Kelloggs Smacks in the USA) the sugar level was 55%
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Table 2:
The UK traffic light criteria for labelling fat, salt and sugar levels in food6
Quantities per 100g food (different figures apply for beverages) Low Fat Salt Sugar up to 3g up to 0.3g up to 5g total sugars Medium 3g up to 20g 0.3g up to 1.5g High over 20g over 1.5g
UK Food Standards Agency. Front-of-pack Traffic light signpost labelling. Technical Guidance, Issue 2, November 2007. http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/frontofpackguidance2.pdf
In the discussion of fat, salt and sugar levels, this study uses the UK Food Standards Agencys (FSA) definitions of low, medium and high levels of these ingredients in food. High levels merit a red traffic light on the front of the pack, while low levels merit a green traffic light, and intermediary levels an amber traffic light (see Table 2). We have used the same system in this report in order to clearly identify low, medium and high levels. The UK system is not compulsory and Kelloggs and Nestl do not use it on their products. The low criteria are the same as those used by the European Commission for permitting claims of low fat, low salt and low sugar on product labels.
more than 25% sugar (including the Reduced Sugar version of Kelloggs Frosties), which classifies them as high sugar. Many products had sugar levels above 40%, and one sample (Kelloggs Smacks in the USA) consisted of 55% sugar. The sugar content of these cereals is as high or higher than that found in doughnuts (16-22%), ice cream (21-27%) or sweet cookies (36-46%).7 For children especially, highly sweetened cereals can add significantly to the daily calorie intake and may encourage a taste for sweet foods generally. Manufacturers use sugar to boost taste and appeal to children. Natural cereal grains contain 1% or less sugar, too small to influence the results of the present survey. The evidence from the sugar levels confirms the suggestion that sugar and salt are both used to boost flavour appeal, with one substituting for the other. Sugar and salt also add a crunchy texture to flour-based products. The highest sugar levels were found in the product (Kelloggs Smacks) with the lowest salt level, while the lowest sugar levels were found in the two products (Kelloggs Rice Krispies and Kelloggs Frosties Reduced Sugar) with the highest salt levels. Graphs 1 and 2 on page 14 show the sugar levels in Kelloggs Frosties and Nestl Nesquik, the two varieties that were found in the most countries. In every country sugar levels were more than double the level considered to be high according to the UKs FSA traffic light criteria.
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Table 3:
Kellogg's Frosties cereal total sugars (%) by country, rated against UK FSA 'traffic light' criteria
% 50 40 30 20 10 0 Argentina Australia Brazil Chile Denmark Fiji France Germany India Indonesia Italy Kenya Malaysia New Zealand Peru Spain Switzerland Thailand Hong Kong Portugal Russia Ireland South Korea USA UK MEDIUM LOW 48 43 42 43 36 41 36 35 38 38 42 40 40 37 35 48 40 35 36 32 HIGH 39 43 37 40 37
Graph 2:
Nestle Nesquick cereal total sugars (%) by country, rated against UK FSA 'traffic light' criteria
% 50 40 30 20 10 0 Argentina Australia Belgium Brazil Chile Czech Republic Denmark France Germany Italy New Zealand Norway Peru Poland Portugal Russia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Ireland UK MEDIUM LOW 38 33 35 40 38 37 36 32 35 37 39 33 35 34 38 34 36 33 36 39 33 37 HIGH
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Table 4:
Manufacturers are likely to add salt in order to boost the flavour of the product, and may use salt to maintain customer appeal when sugar levels are reduced.
The salt added to these cereals is as high or even higher than the salt added to savoury snacks such as potato chips (0.6-0.7% salt), tortilla chips (0.4% salt) and salted or roasted peanuts (0.6-1.3%).9 For children especially, salty cereals can add significantly to the daily intake and may lead children to expect salt in their food generally.
Graph 3:
Kellogg's Rice Krispies cereal total sodium chloride (salt) (%) by country, rated against UK FSA 'traffic light' criteria
% 3.0 2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 0 LOW 1.7 1.7 2.5 2.0 1.7 1.5 1.7 1.5 MEDIUM Sodium Chloride (table salt) percentage of seawater 2.2 2.0 1.7 1.7 HIGH
Italy
Kenya
Portugal
Spain
Swizterland
Denmark
Hong Kong
Sweden
France
UK
Ireland
USA
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Table 5:
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Country differences
The cereals examined in this report were purchased in countries around the world. The results of the nutrient analyses show that the quality of the products varies considerably between countries. Some sample variation can be expected due to uneven product quality during the manufacturing process. However, as Tables 3 to 5 have shown, the range is considerable and in some cases the quantities are severalfold greater in one country than in another. In Table 6, we list the countries where the lowest and highest levels of salt and sugar were found for each product. None of the products were available in all countries and so a full comparison of practices could not be made. However, two features of the table are worth noting: Firstly that the variety of countries in each column suggests that there is no clear pattern of marketing to specific cultural tastes. Countries in Latin America, Europe, Asia and Australasia are found in both the lowest and highest sugar content, and lowest and highest salt content. Secondly, there is further evidence that sugar and salt are substituted for each other, with several countries being found in both the lowest salt and highest sugar (or lowest sugar and highest salt) for a given variety. This provides support for the suggestion made above that manufacturers tend to use both sugar and salt as a means of boosting the flavour, and that if the level of one is reduced the other may be increased.
Table 6:
Countries where the lowest and highest salt and sugar levels were found
Lowest salt Kelloggs Choco Krispies Coco Pops Choco Krispies Coco Rocks Chocos Froot Loops Frosties Brazil [little variation] India Brazil, Chile, Peru Italy, Russia, Fiji, Australia, New Zealand Chile, Peru [little variation] [many countries] India, Australia, New Zealand Brazil, India, South Korea Sweden, UK Hong Kong, USA USA Argentina, Germany, Russia Australia Germany India South Korea Germany, Switzerland Denmark, Italy, Spain, Switzerland Germany, Slovenia, Switzerland Brazil, Thailand Indonesia, USA New Zealand Belgium, Italy, Norway USA, Chile Australia New Zealand South Korea Ireland, UK France, Spain, USA Highest salt Lowest sugar Highest sugar
Frosties Reduced Sugar Portugal, South Korea Rice Krispies Smacks Kenya, Sweden [little variation]
Nestl Cheerios Chocapic Cookie Crisp Estrelitas / Honey Stars Nesquik Norway, Czech Rep Peru Portugal Brazil, Chile [little variation] France, Italy, Spain [little variation] Malaysia, Thailand Hong Kong Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru Poland Chile Malaysia Chile, Spain France, Switzerland, Slovenia, Australia, New Zealand Czech Rep, Italy Czech Rep, Italy USA Indonesia Brazil Italy, Sweden
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Marketing tactics
Manufacturers have many opportunities to promote their products to children and to parents and carers. The packaging and nature of the product itself are used by manufacturers to attract children by using a wide range of psychological and emotive techniques, including cartoon characters, familiar images (eg from films), competitions, gifts in the pack, gifts and purchases from on-pack coupons, memberships of clubs, offers of cellphone ringtones, jokes, games, and various inducements to visit the manufacturers websites. This study also looked at the advertising of breakfast cereals on television channels during programmes that are likely to be viewed by children.
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Marketing tactics
General Mills Lucky Charms leprechaun appears on packaging and on the website in the US
Packets of Kelloggs Cocoa Krispies sold in Belgium contained a free magic spoon
Packets of Nestl Cheerios sold in the US contained a toy racing car Nestls Nesquik bunny features on packs sold in Russia and on the Nesquik website
Markteting tactics
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Coloured ingredients
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Marketing tactics
Packets of Kelloggs Cocoa Krispies featuring Indiana Jones sold in Malaysia and Belgium
Markteting tactics
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Example from US
Vitamin claims: Added vitamins, essential vitamins and minerals, with iron, rich in calcium etc
Contains 77% wholegrain Examples from Norway Example from Spain. Source of Fibre. High content of vitamins E, B1, B2, B9, B6, PP, B12 B5 & Fe
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Marketing tactics
Natural ingredients
Energy
Happy families
Markteting tactics
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Approved by parents
Box 3:
These examples reveal the wide range of strategies used by companies to avoid and distract attention from any negative aspects of the product, including its nutritional values and its encouragement of a liking for highly sweetened foods (and the routine consumption of cows milk, which is a relatively recent and not necessarily beneficial dietary change in many regions of the world). We are aware of only one honourable example Coop Honey Bees, from Norway where the product packaging warned parents of the high levels of sugar and advised varying the breakfast with other products containing less sugar.
Off-pack promotion
Manufacturers have developed a wide range of methods for promoting their products to children (and to their parents and carers). Television commercials have been used for many years, and in some countries the use of TV advertising is beginning to decline in favour of other approaches, including Internet sites and direct marketing. This section briefly considers the use of TV advertising and Internet sites. It should be noted that sweetened breakfast cereals are being promoted to children through other activities, such as school classrooms and teaching activities, and sports sponsorships for childrens junior championships.
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Marketing tactics
Television advertising
Surveys of childrens cereal advertising were undertaken during the month of April 2008, and involved monitoring commercial television channels likely to be seen by children and families for a week.
A single week may not be representative of the cereal manufacturers usual pattern of advertising as the promotional campaigns are not continuous. However, several countries reported significant numbers of advertising spots during the monitoring period. Details of the content of the advertising are indicated in Table 7.
Table 7:
Italy
195
Netherlands
23
Spain
168
Australia
138
India
Not given
Malaysia
Not given
South Korea
Not given
Thailand
33
USA
135
Markteting tactics
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Websites
Website promotion of sweetened cereals is an integral part of manufacturers promotional strategies and linked to the current report in several ways. For example, packs led purchasers to seek more nutritional information by visiting websites, voucher and coupon give-aways onpacks (such as swimming pool entry vouchers) were further explained on websites, and most significantly, children were encouraged to visit company websites for entertainment, including games, puzzles, cartoons, ringtones, and other rewards. The exposure of children to the product branding during their visits to such websites is more prolonged and interactive than exposure to television advertisements, and so likely to be far more influential on their attitudes towards the product.
Hong Kong:
Websites are also likely to be accessed at times when parents are not easily in control. Company websites did not restrict access or require parental approval in order to prevent young children gaining entry. Here are a few of the many examples of company websites used to attract children and promote the highly sweetened cereal products discussed in this report.
www.nestle.com.hk/tradch/club/Kids/Game/butterfly.html
The exposure of children to product branding on websites is more prolonged and interactive than exposure to television advertisements.
USA: www.luckycharms.millsberry.com
Korea: www.kellogg.co.kr/product/chex/fun_3.asp
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Marketing tactics
Norway/global: www.weetos.com/narnia
Global: www.nesquik-club.com
USA: www.kelloggs.com/promotions/indiana-jones
USA: www.millsberry.com
Markteting tactics
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Music
USA: www.reesespuffs.com
Spain: www.kelloggs.es
USA/Global: www.frostedflakes.com/Kidzone/tracks.shtml
UK: www.kelloggs.co.uk/whatson/swimming/freeswim.aspx
Spain: www.kelloggs.es
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Marketing tactics
some cases the weight was based on serving size information which differed between different products and between different countries (Table 8). Information was often given on the nutritional value with added milk. This practice is misleading if products are not routinely consumed with milk, and also may imply a spurious additional nutritional benefit from consuming the product when the benefit is derived from the milk and not the product. The quantity of added milk was inconsistent between products and between countries.
Generally the milk added was described as semi-skimmed or half-fat, but this was not always the case. We believe manufacturers are likely to mislead by including details with arbitrary quantities of milk, and milk of different qualities, and urge them to avoid this practice. We believe that the best practice is to provide details per standard amount in the form as sold such as per 100 grams of dry product so that different varieties can be quickly and easily compared.
Table 8:
Front-of-pack signalling
All major cereal manufacturers appear to have collaborated to use the GDA signalling system that indicates the amounts of nutrients provided in a single portion as a percentage of a guideline daily amount (GDA). There are several problems with this approach including the choice of GDA (some products used GDAs for adults, some used GDAs for children, some invented new GDAs see Table 9, page 30). In addition, because of varying portion sizes used for GDA signals, it may not be easy to compare different products side by side. There is some standardisation, with many companies proposing to use 30g as a standard serving (despite evidence that the majority of consumers take larger portions).
There were, however, considerable inconsistencies. For example, in some countries the energy GDAs were given in kilocalories, and in others in kilojoules. The number and order of presentation of the signals was inconsistent between countries, with products marketed in Europe generally printing five signals and these were sometimes in the order: energy, sugar, fat, saturated fat, salt, and sometimes as: energy, fat, saturated fat, salt, sugar, even from the same company in the same country.
Markteting tactics
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Besides this problem, manufacturers were often adding further non-standard signals for components such as whole grains, fibre and various vitamins. Non-standard additional GDAs were apparent in many countries, with inconsistent patterns, with one box (in Fiji) showing a total of 12 GDA signals. In the USA there were generally four GDA signals, usually in the order: energy, fat, salt, sugar but the sugar GDA percentage value was missing as there is no agreement on what the recommended amount should be.
Manufacturers prefer to use adult figures, as the percentage contribution of the product is lower, implying that more can be eaten in the daily diet.
We believe this approach is better for consumers and provides a quicker and simpler method for making healthy choices while shopping. We urge cereal manufacturers to adopt the traffic light format for their products. Lastly, we considered the reference values being used by companies for these products. Many of these products are specifically marketed towards younger children, whose energy needs are lower than those for older adolescents and adults. It is generally accepted that children under age 6 need an average of 1400-1550 kcal per day, and aged under 10 some 1800 kcal per day. Manufacturers prefer to use adult figures, as the percentage contribution of the product is lower, implying that more can be eaten in the daily diet. Adult salt, sugar and fat levels are higher, so again the percentage contribution of the cereal appears lower. We found variation and inconsistency across different countries.
No guidance on sugar intakes with US GDA signals on this pack of Kelloggs Frosted Flakes sold in the US
Table 9: There is concern that some shoppers may misinterpret the GDAs for sugar and salt as being recommended amounts that should be consumed in a day rather than amounts that should not be exceeded and should preferably be avoided. Furthermore, not all purchasers are sufficiently numerate to make use of the information one study suggests that 40% of adults in the UK would find it hard to interpret the percentages given on the GDA signals. In contrast the UK Food Standards Agency is promoting the use of a traffic light signalling scheme, which provides red, amber and green signals for fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt according to the percentage in the dry product. This scheme has been adopted voluntarily by several manufacturers in the UK, including some retailers with their own label cereal products, and also by one retailer in Belgium.
Denmark, Switzerland, Adult (2000 kcal) or no signals India, Brazil and others UK Hong Kong USA Adult (2000kcal), child (1800kcal), traffic light or no signals. Adult (2000kcal), child (1800kcal) or no signals. Adult (2000 kcal), Sensible solution or no signals.
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Marketing tactics
Kellogg s
(taken from Kelloggs Marketing to Children Practices Fact Sheet13) Kellogg is changing what and how the Company markets to children under 12. Kellogg will apply science-based Kellogg Global Nutrient Criteria (Nutrient Criteria) to all products currently marketed to children around the world. Products that dont meet the Nutrient Criteria will either be reformulated or will no longer be marketed to children under 12 by the end of 2008. Kellogg will continue its practice of not advertising to children under 6.
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The Nutrient Criteria are standards based on a broad review of scientific reports. Specifically, the Nutrient Criteria set an upper threshold per serving of 200 calories, 2 grams of saturated fat, labeled 0 grams of trans fat, 230 milligrams of sodium and labeled 12 grams of sugar. The percentages are based on a typical 2,000 calorie daily diet. Wherever possible, and subject to our existing contractual obligations, implementation of Kellogg commitments will begin immediately. Full implementation of all commitments will be completed by the end of 2008.
toys and games directed to children under 12 only if the product meets the Nutrient Criteria. Not advertising to children in elementary and preschool settings. The Nutrient Criteria-based marketing initiative is consistent with our 100-year heritage. It further strengthens our commitment to helping consumers make informed food choices and sets a new standard of responsibility. Kellogg Company actively funds and partners with organizations, health agencies and governments around the world to communicate the importance of a balanced diet and physical activity. The Nutrient Criteria will also guide targeted future innovation and product development. Over time, Kellogg Company will work toward providing consumers even more product choices with enhanced nutritional value, as well as continuing to emphasize nutrition and healthy lifestyles in its marketing to children. Kellogg is a founding member of the Childrens Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative in the U.S. and the Advertising Standards of Canada and Concerned Children's Advertisers in Canada. Many of the commitments above will also be expressed as part of those programs.
Product Impact
Almost 50 percent of current formulations of Kellogg products currently marketed to children worldwide do not meet the Criteria and will either be reformulated to meet the Nutrient Criteria or will no longer be marketed to children under 12. Examples of Kellogg foods in the U.S. that do not meet the Nutrient Criteria include current versions of Kelloggs Pop-Tarts, Kelloggs Froot Loops and Kelloggs Apple Jacks.
Nestle
This information is available on Nestles website14. Responsible advertising to children has always been part of Nestl's Consumer Communication Principles. They are aimed at encouraging moderation, healthy dietary habits and physical activity without undermining the authority of parents or creating unrealistic expectations of popularity or success. They also ensure that we do not create difficulty in distinguishing real from imaginary or create a sense of urgency. In light of the rising concerns about child obesity, Nestl strengthened its Principles in July 2007 by adding two important provisions: no advertising or marketing activity is to be directed at children under 6 years advertising for children from 6 to 12 years must be restricted to products with a nutritional profile that helps children achieve a healthy balanced diet, including clear limits for such ingredients as sugar, salt and fat.
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These will be fully implemented in all countries by the end of 2008 and subject to monitoring. The Consumer Communications Principles are required reference points for all marketing staff and advertising agencies globally, and must be used when developing our consumer communication. All marketing campaigns are reviewed and are checked through an internal monitoring process in each market to ensure compliance with the Principles.
Additionally, Nestl participates in industry initiatives aimed at furthering responsible advertising. These include the pledges discussed below and a Europe-wide initiative, started in 2005, which assesses companies compliance with industry-wide Codes of Conduct for Food and Beverages Marketing Communications. This has provided a useful tool for Nestl to receive feedback on its advertising and maintain high standards of compliance.
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Finally these commitments only relate to the companies that have signed up to them. Whilst some large companies are involved, many others are not. If these multinationals are genuinely committed to stopping the marketing of food high in fat, sugar and salt to children they should support regulatory action that will apply to the whole industry.
Positive messages about a healthy diet will always be competing against the multi-billion dollar advertising budget of the food industry.
First governments have a duty to protect vulnerable consumers. Currently food companies are encouraging children to eat unhealthy foods that are high in fat, sugar and salt. The long-term consequences for them as individuals could be the development of unhealthy eating habits and the development of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. The marketing techniques used by Kelloggs and Nestl, as well as others in the food industry, are multiple and often sophisticated and children are not easily able to defend themselves against them. Governments should also look to the long-term health of their populations. The obesity pandemic is a serious threat to the health of their citizens and to the national health budget. Whilst tackling the pandemic requires a strategy involving several elements, one of these should be stopping the marketing of unhealthy food to children. Without action in this area, positive messages about a healthy diet will always be competing against the multibillion dollar advertising budget of the food industry.
No use of celebrities, cartoon characters, competitions or free gifts to market unhealthy food.
Recommendations
CI believes that all children up to the age of 16 years old should be protected from marketing of unhealthy food and drink through a global standard based on the Recommendations prepared by CI and the IOTF. In particular, the following marketing techniques should not be allowed to promote food high in fat, sugar and/or salt: 1. Advertising or promotion that directly appeals to children, including the: Use of celebrities Use of cartoon characters, including brand owned and licensed Inclusion of free gifts, toys or collectible items Inclusion of competitions, vouchers or games
2. Advertising or promotion in places children visit frequently, which includes: Nurseries, pre-school centres, schools and school grounds
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Childrens clubs, centres, playgrounds and sports halls Family and child clinics and paediatric services
National governments
To give their support to the development of an international code on the marketing of food to children. To implement national legislation based on the international Code to restrict the marketing of food to children. To monitor misleading labelling and implement a mandatory, coherent and transparent labelling system such as the traffic light system.
3. Advertising that targets parents or carers: No indirect advertising to parents or other adults caring for children such as other family members, child carers, teachers, health workers. This includes suggesting that a parent or adult who purchases such a food or beverage for a child is a better, more intelligent or a more generous parent or adult than one who does not do so, or that their child when fed these products will be more intelligent and gifted.
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Endnotes
1
Some Nestl products were produced by Cereal Partners, a joint venture between Nestl and General Mills. The CI and IOTF Recommendations for an International Code on Marketing of Foods and Non-Alcoholic Beverages to Children is available to download at www.junkfoodgeneration.org Crain Communications. 1st Century Global Marketers. Part 1 Global Ad Spending by Marketer. Ad Age, November 2007. http://adage.com/datacenter World Health Organization. Global strategy on diet, physical activity and health. GSDPAH, 46(3), WHA 2004 A57/9. World Health Assembly, Geneva, May 2004. Ibid, Para 40 (3) UK Food Standards Agency. Front-of-pack Traffic light signpost labelling. Technical Guidance, Issue 2, November 2007. http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/frontofpackguidance2.pdf Product data from United States Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service (http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/) and leading brands sold in UK supermarkets (http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/), both accessed September 2008. The all-salt content of seawater is about 3.5%, however this figure incorporates a number of different salts. To find the percentage of sodium chloride (or table salt, the sort of salt we have in food) it is necessary to look at the level of sodium in seawater. Sodium is approximately 1% of seawater, which is equivalent to 2.5% sodium chloride. http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/8p.html See endnote 7. http://www.kelloggs.ie/whatson/swimming/free-swim.aspx http://www.nestle.com/Resource.axd?Id=AB07212C-14E2-4945-AFF4-7B1B1D0569AE For example the Canadian pledge, the EU pledge, the Thai pledge and the US pledge. http://www.kelloggcompany.com/commitments.aspx?id=713 http://www.nestle.com/SharedValueCSR/ProductsAndConsumers/MarketingandCommunications/ MarketingAndAdvertising.htm
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11
12
13
14
Endnotes
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The Junk Food Trap - Marketing unhealthy food to children in Asia Pacific The Junk Food Trap, a new report by Consumers International, reveals the lengths international brands such as Coca-Cola, Kellogg's, KFC, McDonald's, PepsiCo and Nestl go to when marketing unhealthy food to children in Asia Pacific. Available to download at www.consumersinternational.org