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

Marketing Food to Children and Adolescents
re c o m m e n d a t I o n s :
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Companies should continue and expand efforts to package more nutritious products
in ways that are more appealing to children.
Companies should continue efforts to use product packaging to help consumers
control portion sizes and calories, by offering smaller portions and single-serving
packages.
4. Nutritional Labeling
The 2006 Report encouraged food companies to explore the use of labeling initiatives to
help consumers identify lower-calorie, more nutritious foods. Many of the reporting companies
are doing so, and they are tackling the issue in different ways. Some companies use icons or
seals designed to help consumers quickly and easily identify more nutritious, lower-calorie
products. Other companies have developed prominent, front-of-box graphics that provide
consumers with information about the amount of calories and specific nutrients in the product,
such as fat, sugar, and sodium. 109 Still other companies use different labeling techniques to
highlight particular nutritional attributes of their products, such as the fact that the product is
“low fat,” has “reduced sodium,” or contains whole grains.
a. ic o n s a n d se a l s
i. Company Icons
Four of the reporting companies have developed an icon or seal program for products that
meet certain nutritional criteria: Kraft has the “Sensible Solution” icon, PepsiCo has the “Smart
Spot,” Unilever uses “Eat Smart” and “Drink Smart” icons, and McKee uses the “Snack Smart”
seal. 110 Some of these programs were in place prior to the 2005 Workshop, while at least one
was developed subsequently. 111 These icons are simple, colorful, easy-to-recognize graphics
prominently displayed on product packaging.
According to the companies, these icons were designed to help consumers identify “better
for you” products or to limit their intake of certain nutrients in order to eat more healthfully. 112
Currently, such icons appear on hundreds of food and beverage products on grocery store
shelves, including breakfast cereals, cereal bars, nuts and trail mixes, cookies, crackers, baked
potato chips, puddings, cheese, prepared foods and meals, fruit juices, sports drinks, carbonated
soft drinks, and other beverages.
To qualify for an icon, a food or beverage product must satisfy certain nutritional criteria
established by the individual company. These criteria are reportedly derived from established
government and scientific guidelines such as the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
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