|
| | RSS Feeds | | | Subscribe for Newsletter | | |
|
|
F & B companies to stop marketing junk food ads |
|
|
Several food & beverages (F&B) companies, including Hindustan Unilever, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Kellogg`s, have joined together to stop marketing junk food to children below 12 years to help check the rising threat of obesity.
They will launch an Indian version of the EU Pledge, a pact signed by their parent organisations in 2007. Under the EU Pledge, 11 companies, which account for more than half of the F&B advertisement spend in Europe, had decided to stop running ads targeting children on television, print and the internet, and selling junk food such as chocolate, chips and cola in primary schools.
An HUL spokesman informed, "In India, HUL, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Kellogg`s met recently to reinforce their commitment to the cause."
The Indian pledge will take a tangible shape later this year. The objective of the forum is to adopt self-regulatory measures and reinforce codes of conduct to children on a common ground.
Other signatories of the EU Pledge, such as Nestle, are expected to join the initiative soon. The rest Groupe Danone, Burger King, Mars, Ferrero, General Mills and Kraft which either have a small presence in India, or are not present here, may come on board as their operations gain size in the country, company officials said.
The Indian companies have already taken independent internal voluntary guidelines, in line with their parent companies to deal with issues such as advertising responsibly to children.
It is for the first time, Indian marketers are joining hands to formulate common guidelines for responsible advertising to children under 12 years of age, and deal with larger health concerns such as obesity.
The move is expected to have huge effect in India. All advertising for Nestle, its flagship 2-minute noodle brand Maggi now shows the entire family, instead of only a bunch of under 12-year-olds and a mother. The move is in line with its parent Nestle SA`s recent pledge that it will advertise to under-12 children only those products that meet nutritional guidelines across global markets.
In India, existing associations of advertisers include the Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA), 3As of I (Advertising Agencies Association of India) and industry watchdog Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI). But there has been no common platform for companies to jointly address concerns like obesity and responsible advertising to children.
(Posted on : 27/04/2009)
|
|
|
|
|
|
| F & B companies to stop marketing junk food ads |
|
