Food Companies Bow to Pressure

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Today, July 18, 2007, 11 of the biggest food and beverage companies in the country—including the Kellogg Company, General Mills, Kraft Foods, the Coca Cola company and PepsiCo—announced voluntary pledges to set nutrition standards in the foods and beverages they promote to children and to reduce advertising to children under 12.

These pledges come in response to increasing pressure on the industry to reform its foods and its marketing practices from those concerned about children’s health. The IOM report made the case that food marketing increases children’s consumption of unhealthy foods. Center for Science in the Public Interest and the Campaign for a Commercial-free Childhood have sued companies so they will change (Kellogg’s recent announcements were part of settling that lawsuit). The FCC Task Force on Childhood Obesity, Co-Chaired by Senators Brownback and Harkin, postponed its report so it could examine the pledges announced today. And, the Federal Trade Commission, besides sponsoring today’s workshop on food marketing to children, will be asking 44 food companies and quick service restaurants for marketing data.

So, what have the companies done in response to this pressure?

Company Pledges Generate Concerns

Today’s pledges are, as Margo Wootan of CSPI notes, a “positive and historic” step. By making these pledges the companies are acknowledging the link between food marketing and children’s health. However, it will take some time to assess the details of each company’s promises and whether they deliver on those promises. Right now there are some immediate concerns about the actual the pledges.

• While products not meeting a company’s own nutrition standards will not be advertised on children’s television shows, these same products can be advertised on other shows that children watch. According to the New York Times, “That qualifier amounts to a major loophole, given the media-watching habits of children. An episode of Nickelodeon’s “SpongeBob SquarePants,” for instance, is viewed by an average audience of 876,000 children age 6 to 11, according to Nielsen Media Research, and falls in the category of shows that are off-limits to ads for junk food. But “American Idol” from Fox, which qualifies as a family show, attracts 2.1 million children in the age group.”

• There is no uniformity between the company pledges in terms of nutrition or marketing criteria. Each company has tailored the pledges to suit their product portfolio and marketing practices. This lack of uniformity means that there will be significant difficulties in tracking adherence to the voluntary pledges. That is why the Campaign for Commercial free Childhood notes that “while the pledges are great PR for food companies, taken has a whole they are unworkable and unenforceable and are yet another indication that self-regulation has failed.”

• Since the pledges are voluntary, they are not enforceable and can be subject to change at any time. Given the increasing recognition of the impact of marketing to children on health outcomes, children deserve permanent standards that are enforceable. The only effective means to achieve this is through regulation.

• Companies may still advertise their products to children if they are linked to messages about healthy lifestyles. Thus companies can still effectively cultivate brand loyalty.

• Protections for adolescents are left out of the pledges. This is problematic because adolescents also are subject to food marketing. Teens spend more of their own money on food, make more of their food choices independently of their parents, and do more of their food consumption outside of the home. They should be included.

• Full implementation is not expected until the end of 2008.

As Rapid Responders, we urge you to monitor your local media for coverage of the report and to respond with letters to the editor and op-eds.

To view a list of the 11 companies and their pledges, go to  http://www.cbbb.org/initiative/pledges.asp

We welcome you to share any letters or op-eds that get published with the rest of the Strategic Alliance membership by sending them to sana@preventioninstitute.org

WHAT IS THE STRATEGIC ALLIANCE?

The Strategic Alliance is reframing the debate on nutrition and physical activity away from a focus on individual choice and lifestyle towards one of environment and corporate and government responsibility. Current Steering Committee members are: California Adolescent Nutrition and Fitness Program (CANFit), California Center for Public Health Advocacy, California Food Policy Advocates, California Pan-Ethnic Health Network, California Parks and Recreation Society, California Project LEAN, California WIC Association, Child Care Food Program Roundtable, Latino Health Access, Partnership for the Public's Health, Prevention Institute, Samuels & Associates and YMCA of the East Bay.

HOW TO BECOME A MEMBER

The Strategic Alliance is currently engaged in building a broad and diverse statewide membership. To join or for more information, please visit us on the Web, www.eatbettermovemore.org, or contact Sana Chehimi at 510.444.7738 or Sana@preventioninstitute.org. And even if you're already a member, please forward this message on to your colleagues so we can continue to strengthen our coalition. Thank you!

The Strategic Alliance is reframing the debate on nutrition and physical activity--from a focus on individual choice and lifestyle, towards one of environment and corporate and government responsibility.

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