Kit Kat chocolate bars, Cocoa Pops and Smarties are considered “healthy” foods that can be marketed to children’s under a controversial food industry advertising code.
The Cancer Council NSW is demanding the federal government regulate junk food advertising after a study found 40 per cent of the food deemed healthy by food companies did not meet the government’s own regulations on whether a food could be called healthy.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has developed nutrition criteria to prevent companies making claims such as “low fat and good for your heart” if the product contains lots of sugar and salt.
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Instead of using this criteria to define healthy food, the food industry have set up their own voluntary advertising code called the Responsible Children’s Marketing Initiative (RCMI).
Under this code each food company set its own definition of what is regarded as a healthy food and can therefore be advertised to children.
The 17 large food companies who are signatories to the code have 14 different definitions of healthy, the Cancer Council NSW study found.
“Our results show that food companies such as Kellogg’s, Campbell Arnott’s and Nestle have set their own criteria so low that foods high in sugar and saturated fat can still be advertised to children,” Cancer Council NSW nutrition manager Clare Hughes said.
Some companies claim their ads for foods like Freddo frogs, Milky Way and Nutella don’t breach their code because they say they don’t advertise to children.
A complaint made under the code about cinema advertisement for Tiny Teddy’s Big Tedz biscuits that contain more than 30 per cent sugar was dismissed in 2012.
This was because ‘Big Tedz’, was presented as only one part of a healthy, balanced lunch box; alongside a sandwich, a piece of fruit and raw vegetable sticks.
The Cancer Council NSW found food company criteria would allow Tiny Teddies, Smarties, Kit Kat’s, Coco Pops, Nutri Grain and LCMs Strawbubbles, all of which contain more than 30 per cent sugar, to be advertised to children.
This is even though the foods would fail the nutrition criteria developed by the food regulator, Food Standards Australia New Zealand.
Cancer Council NSW studied 1,733 food advertisements aired on commercial television between 6am and 9pm during a two-week period in 2011.
Four out of ten of the foods that met the food companies definition of healthy failed the FSANZ nutrient test, the study found.
“We also found loopholes in the fast food code. Currently it only covers advertising of children’s meals, but our study found foods like KFC’s Mint Choc Krusher, and McDonald’s Chicken N’ Cheese Burger which aren’t children’s meal can still be advertised to children.
The council’s results “reaffirm that the current self-regulatory codes do not work,” Ms Hughes said.
“With almost one in four Australian children already overweight or obese, we need to see comprehensive regulation to restrict junk food marketing aimed at children and help parents to teach their children about healthy eating habits,” she said.
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Nestlé said it did “not advertise to children under 12” in Australia.
“We do not run ads directed to adults during children’s programs or any program where the percentage of children watching is higher than 35%”.
Kellogg’s said it had a “proud 90-year tradition of bringing Australia’s favourite cereals to the breakfast table, and takes its advertising obligations very seriously”.
“Kellogg’s is a signatory on all advertising self-regulatory codes and is committed to following these guidelines, as well as our own internal guidelines on responsible advertising to children,” a spokesman for Kellogg’s said.
Arnott’s said it has undertaken no advertising initiatives to children under 12 years of age in 2013 or 2014.
“We understand that different stakeholders hold differing opinions about what products represent healthy dietary choices. Arnott’s defer to The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating and do not make any health claims across our Tiny Teddy or Big Tedz ranges. Instead, we advocate consuming our products in moderation and as part of a balanced diet,” a spokeswoman for Arnott’s said.
“Arnott’s 2012 Big Tedz advertisement did not breach the RCMI, AANA Food Code or AANA Children’s Code on any grounds and the ASB dismissed the complaint. This advertisement has also not aired since 2012,” the spokeswoman said.
A spokesman for the Australian Food and Grocery Council said the Cancer Council research considers advertising during all shows between 6am to 9pm including crime programs like Law and Order and movies featuring sex and violence, programs which are hardly targeting children. “This is not a useful basis for which to consider advertising to children”.
“It is disappointing that the paper did not consider that advertising bans overseas have demonstrated no reduction in childhood obesity,” the spokesman said.
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