WFA Asia-Pacific Media & Marketing Network meets for first time (05/02/2010)
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WHO Executive Board adopts food marketing recommendations (01/02/2010)
Taiwan plans food and alcohol ad restrictions (01/02/2010)
Edelman survey shows lack of consumer trust in advertising (29/01/2010)
WHO Executive Board adopts food marketing recommendations
Date: 01/02/2010
On 21st January, the World Health Organisation adopted a set of food marketing recommendations, designed to help guide member states in the formulation of their own policies on food marketing in light of the debate about overweight and obesity. The recommendations still need to be ratified by all member states at the World Health Assembly (WHA) in May before coming into effect.
A number of member states made comments on the document and requested changes to the text. Corporate Accountability and Consumers International requested that the language be strengthened to propose tighter restrictions. The WHO secretariat however declined further input on the basis that the current draft had already taken on the views of all stakeholders. The document will be up for discussion in May at the WHA when it is probable that the text in its current (or very similar) form will be adopted.
The main elements of the recommendations are:
- Member states are given the objective of reducing the impact on children of marketing of high fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) foods both in qualitative and quantitative ways ("power" and "exposure") (RECS 1&2)
- Governments need clear definitions for "HFSS", the age of a child, communications channels, etc. (REC 4)
- Member states are presented with a menu of options for how they should achieve this objective. Regulatory and self-regulatory/voluntary approaches are envisaged (PARA 22 & REC 7)
- Governments should take the lead in setting policy but are encouraged to engage with other stakeholders (while bearing in mind potential "conflicts of interest"). Multi--stakeholder platforms are advocated for implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policy. (REC 6)
- "Settings where children gather" should be free from all HFSS food marketing (REC 5)
- Companies are encouraged to adopt marketing policies that achieve the aforementioned objective and practice them globally (PARA 24)
- Monitoring and enforcement mechanisms are essential (RECS 9, 10) as well as a mechanism by which the impact of the policy can be evaluated (REC 11)
For more information, please contact Will Gilroy: [email protected]
