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

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Marketing Food to Children and Adolescents re c o m m e n d a t I o n s : • • 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 68
Assessment of Food Company Health Initiatives and Recommendations (developed by HHS and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)), authoritative statements of the FDA and National Academy of Sciences, and other sources. 113 The criteria fall into two general categories. First, a product may qualify by meeting specific nutrient criteria per serving – for example, the product meets limits on calories, fat, sodium, and sugar, and also either provides a meaningful amount of a beneficial nutrient (such as protein, calcium, fiber, whole grain) or delivers a functional benefit to the body (such as supporting heart health). 114 A second type of criterion is based on the fact that a product is “reduced,” “low” in, or “free” of calories, fat, saturated fat, sugar, or sodium (typically as compared to the “original” version of the existing product), or is formulated to have specific health or wellness benefits. This second type of criterion, used by two companies, does not require that the product meet any particular “positive” nutritional threshold; rather, a product can qualify for “better for you” status by virtue of having less of a negative attribute than the original version of the product. For example, to qualify for Kraft’s “Sensible Solution” seal, a product can simply be “free” of, “low” in, or contain 25% less calories, fat, saturated fat, sugar, or sodium, compared to similar products. 115 Similarly, Pepsi’s Smart Spot icon may appear on products that are reduced in calories, fat, saturated fat, sodium, or sugar. 116 “Better for you” icon programs are intended to influence consumer purchasing decisions, and they can have an impact. One company has publicly stated that sales of its icon-bearing products are growing two to three times faster than the rest of its portfolio. 117 Another company reported that sales of its icon-bearing products have outgrown non-icon products each year since the program’s inception, and the icon products’ share of total company sales has increased each year, as well. 118 One other company reported less success when it reformulated several products to meet its “better for you” nutrition criteria. ii. Third-Party Seals Some of the reporting companies are using third-party seals on their products to convey nutrition information to consumers. For example, five companies reported that they use the American Heart Association’s “heart-check” mark on their products that qualify. The AHA’s standard requires that a serving of the product contain no more than 3 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 20 mg of cholesterol, and 480 mg of sodium, and contain 10% or more of the daily value of Vitamin A or C, iron, calcium, protein, or dietary fiber. 119 The companies using the mark include fruit and vegetable companies, as well as traditional food manufacturers. One company reports that it has more than 150 products that bear the mark, some of which are advertised to children and/or teens. Other third-party seals used by reporting companies include the “Fruit & Veggies – More Matters” logo, signifying that the products meet nutritional criteria established 69
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FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION Marketing
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Report Contributors Bureau of Consu
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Appendices 2. Athletic and Other Ev
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List of Figures Figure II.1: Report
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Marketing Food to Children and Adol
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