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WFA releases media auditing guidelines (26/05/2010)
WHO adopts global strategy on alcohol (25/05/2010)
WHO issues recommendations on food marketing to children
Date: 25/05/2010
On May 20, the World Health Assembly (WHA) adopted the WHO Recommendations, already endorsed by the WHO Executive Board in January 2010, with no changes of substance. The text of the recommendation, with the accompanying Resolution, is available here: http://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA63/A63_12-en.pdf
Key points:
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 "high fat/sugar/salt" (HFSS) foods, 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)
The WHO Recommendations will serve as guidance to Governments worldwide for the development of national policies on food marketing to children. The adoption of the Recommendations is likely to increase focus on the issue in a number of markets worldwide.
Alongside the Recommendations, the WHA also adopted a resolution tabled by Norway, which strengthens the status of the Recommendations. In particular, the Norwegian Resolution states that the WHA "endorses", rather than simply "notes", the Recommendations. It also urges Member States to:
- Take the necessary measures to implement the recommendations on the marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children;
- Establish a system for monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the recommendations on the marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children;
- Take active steps to establish intergovernmental collaboration in order to reduce the impact of cross-border marketing;
- Cooperate with civil society and with public and private stakeholders in implementing the set of recommendations to reduce the impact of marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children, while ensuring avoidance of potential conflicts of interest;
It further requests the WHO Director-General to:
- Support existing regional networks, and where appropriate to facilitate the establishment of new ones, in order to strengthen international cooperation to reduce the impact on children of marketing of foods high in saturated fats, trans-fatty acids, free sugars, or salt;
- Use existing methodologies for evaluating the action plan for the global strategy for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases to monitor policies on marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children;
- Report on implementation of the Recommendations to the 65th World Health Assembly through the Executive Board at its 130th session (2012)
U.S. Surgeon-General Regina Benjamin endorsed the plan at the WHO's annual ministerial meeting: "The set of recommendations on marketing of food and non-alcoholic beverages to children should play a significant role in helping member states promote healthier patterns of eating as part of efforts to reduce the growing epidemic of childhood obesity," Benjamin said in a speech.
"This is a priority for the Obama administration, in particular for the First Lady, who has raised awareness of childhood obesity and the importance of healthy eating."
WFA engaged directly with the WHO throughout the development of the recommendations, and has developed a toolkit for local industry coalitions to enable them to respond to the WHO mandate. For this, and other information, please contact Will Gilroy [email protected].
