Marketing Food to Children and Adolescents - Federal Trade ...

Marketing Food to Children and Adolescents
Some companies have reformulated products that particularly appeal to children, including
soups, canned pastas and other entrees, and snack foods, to reduce fat and sodium content or
eliminate trans fat. A number of breakfast cereals – a product frequently marketed to children –
have been reformulated to contain less fat, less sugar, and more fiber, as have a number of lunch
and dinner products popular with children. Several companies state that they have ongoing
programs to evaluate and enhance the nutritional quality of their existing products.
Many companies have developed new “better for you” products as well, such as 100%
fruit and vegetable juices and smoothies, and “light” (i.e., reduced calorie) and “fat free” or
reduced-fat snack products. Other new products include cereals, snack bars, yogurt products,
juices, and fruit snacks fortified with vitamins and minerals, fiber, or whole grain, or with low
or reduced sugar, and reduced sodium soups. New, vitamin-enhanced beverages have been
brought to market, as have many low-calorie drinks, and some of these products were developed
specifically for children. One company introduced new lines of frozen vegetables that are low in
fat and designed to help consumers eat more vegetables – including products featuring popular
children’s characters on the packaging.
Some QSRs have revised their kids’ menu offerings to include more nutritious products,
such as fruit and low-fat milk as alternatives to French fries and soda, or a chewy granola bar and
100% juice as side-dish choices. One chain has eliminated trans fat from some of its products,
others are reducing their use of trans fat, while another allows consumers to order certain menu
items “Fresco style,” with lower fat content. Other efforts by QSR companies include the
introduction of lower- and no-calorie beverages, reductions in the size of individual entrees,
and the reformulation of some products. One QSR also reports that its restaurants in one state
are participating in a pilot study to promote meal combinations that meet nutritional standards
established by the state’s public health agency.
These new product offerings are commendable steps in the right direction. The Commission
encourages food and beverage companies to continue their efforts to improve the nutritional
profiles of their products, especially those marketed to children and adolescents. The nutritional
criteria adopted for “better for you” products should not be set in stone, but can be improved
upon as companies find ways to lower the sugar, fat, and sodium without sacrificing taste and
appeal.
In this regard, the Commission is also mindful that “better for you” does not necessarily
mean “good for you.” For example, a new product that has less saturated fat or sodium than its
original version is certainly improved, but may not be “healthy” or “good for you,” especially if
the new version still contains significant amounts of fat, sodium, or calories, or lacks beneficial
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