The Food Commission has said it would like to see a system introduced that linked advertising restrictions on food ads to film ratings.
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Following a survey by the commission, researchers found that children’s films carry adverts for foods and drinks that would not be permitted during many kids television programmes.
It also found that ads for products such as ads for products such as Kellogg’s Coco Pops, Cadbury Clusters and Oreo biscuits being shown alongside children’s films like Ice Age 3 and Night at the Museum 2.
Food Commission director Jessica Mitchell said today (12 October): “We think it would be simple to introduce a system that linked advertising restrictions to film ratings.”
She added: “It would be straightforward to apply the rating system to adverts so that any film classified as suitable for children (U, PG, 12, 12A, 15) would not be allowed to carry promotions for alcohol or unhealthy foods/drinks (as determined by the nutrient profiling model used by Ofcom to regulate food advertising during children’s TV programming). The film ratings are there to guide parents but currently they cannot relax during the ad breaks.”
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By GlobalDataRachel Fellows, UK corporate communications manager for Kellogg said that if the campaign’s aim is to address the obesity epidemic then it suggests that it can be part of the solution and not the problem.
“We are sure the Food Commission would agree that parents would have no concerns if their children watched an ad for a smoothie, a low fat fruit yoghurt, a banana or a glass of orange juice during the latest family blockbuster – and all of them contain more sugar than a serving of Coco Pops.
She added: “We think mums and dads know that, at only two teaspoons of sugar per serving, they’re a sensible and healthy start to the day and science backs this up. Studies show that people who eat breakfast cereals, regardless of how much sugar they contain, tend to be slimmer than those who don’t. We also know that one in five children currently skip breakfast and spend GBP646m a year on sweets on the way to school instead. So if addressing the obesity epidemic is the aim of this campaign then we would suggest we can be part of the solution, not the problem.”
Researchers also found that ads for beverage alcohol brands such as Stella Artois, Peroni Nastro Azzurro, J20 and Absolut Vodka, are being shown alongside children’s films like My Sister’s Keeper.
