Industry trade association GMA/FPA has issued a statement regarding a report on responsible advertising released by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
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The AAP report, entitled Children, Adolescents and Advertising, called for stricter guidelines on child-targeted advertising, having estimated that youngsters view 40,000 adverts a year.
The GMA/FPA said that the food industry is adhering to responsible advertising practices, and helping to address the public health issue of obesity.
GMA/FPA senior vice president of Government affairs, Mary Sophos said: “The members of GMA/FPA have always been committed to communicating with consumers, especially children, in ways that accurately portray the products, their intended uses and the benefits they deliver.
“For more than three decades, the self-regulatory guidelines of the Children’s Advertising Unit (CARU) have helped to ensure that advertising to children by food companies is age and nutritionally appropriate and reflects a balanced approach to health and nutrition.
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By GlobalData“The CARU guidelines were in fact just updated, broadening their jurisdiction and strengthening CARU’s guidance to all children’s advertisers’ including food and beverage companies. Also just recently, ten of the leading food and beverage manufacturers, accounting for two thirds of television food advertising to children, launched the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative. The initiative will increase the advertising messages that encourage good nutrition and healthy lifestyles, and commit companies to advertise healthier choices to children under 12.
“Food and beverage companies have also launched a wide variety of reformulated products with improved nutrition profiles, including reduced saturated and trans fats, reduced calories, less sugar and less sodium. In addition to product reformulation, companies have introduced more than 600 single serve and kid friendly sizes to assist parents and children address portion control issues,” she added.
