AEF Latest News - September 2005

Australia: FLINDERS UNIVERSITY TO CONDUCT STUDY ON CHILDREN'S PERCEPTION OF tv FOOD ADVERTISING

The Nutrition Unit and the Department of Public Health of Flinders University in Adelaide is going to interview children on the relationship between watching TV adverts and eating 'junk' food.

Australia: VICTORIA'S PREMIER CALLS FOR TOUGHER GUIDELINES ON TV 'JUNK FOOD' ADS TO CHILDREN
The Premier of the Australian State of Victoria, Steve Bracks, has written a letter to the Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, calling for stricter rules on TV food advertising shown during children's viewing time.

Australia: NEW RESEARCH PROMPTS NSW MINISTER TO CALL FOR RESTRICTIONS ON 'JUNK' FOOD ADS TO CHILDREN
According to a new piece of research carried out by the New South Wales Department of Health, the average Australian child is exposed to 11 TV 'junk' food ads a day, with fast food companies twice as likely to advertise in children's programmes than other viewing times.

Australia HEALTH PROMOTION FOUNDATION CALLS FOR BAN ON 'JUNK' FOOD ADVERTISING TO CHILDREN
The chief executive officer of the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth), Dr Rob Moodie, has called for a ban on 'junk' food advertising to children and for government intervention in the pricing of foods.

EU: UK PRESIDENCY SUMMIT TACKLES FOOD PROMOTION AND MARKETING TO CHILDREN
The UK Presidency of the EU, in charge in the second semester of 2005, has organised a conference titled 'Tackling Health Inequalities: Governing for Health Summit', to be held at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in London on 17-18 October 2005.

EU: council DISCUSSES ep amendment on restrictionS ON food advertising to children
On 15 September, the EU Council's Audiovisual Working Group discussed the European Parliament's Resolution on the updated Council Recommendation on the Protection of Minors.

EU: EESC MAKES RECOMMENDATIONS ON FOOD ADVERTISING TO CHILDREN
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) - the European consultative body which represents economic and social interests at EU level - has adopted a draft Opinion on: 'Obesity in Europe – role and responsibilities of civil society partners' (own-initiative Opinion).

EU: BEUC survey says consumers rely mostly on nutrition claims for food purchases, especially for children
A survey of consumers in five countries just published by BEUC, the European Federation of Consumers' Organisations - states that European consumers mostly rely on marketing claims when choosing what food to buy.

Iran: researchers say food adverts during children's tv are nutritionally misleading
A study conducted by researchers of the Department of Nutrition Research, National Nutrition & Food Technology Research Institute in Teheran has analysed the nature of food advertising during children's television in Iran and has blamed it for allegedly being misleading on nutritional messages.

Mexico: mps TABLE PROPOSAL TO IMPOSE HEALTH WARNINGS ON 'JUNK' FOOD LABELS TO TACKLE CHILD OBESITY
The parliamentary group of the Workers' Party at the Chamber of Deputies in Mexico has set out a proposal to mandate snacks and soft drinks manufacturers to display a health warning on the labels or packs of their products saying 'The consumption of this product can cause obesity'.

Netherlands: study shows internet growing medium for videogames ads to kids
According to a recent study from Netherlands-based marketing agency JuniorSeniorResearch, video games have become a central part of the lives of children nowadays and the Internet is as a growing medium for advertising to children.

Portugal: SR CODE ON COMMERCIAL COMMUNICATION TO CHILDREN OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED
The self-regulatory 'Code of Good Practice in Commercial Communication to Children' finalised by the Portuguese Advertisers' Association (APAN) was publicly released and officially signed on Tuesday 27 September. The Code consists of 39 recommendations that apply not only to traditional media (i.e., TV, radio and the press) but also to other forms of media such as cinema, Internet, video games and commercial communications via telephone.

Portugal: HIGH-SUGAR FOODS THE MOST advertisED TO KIDS, SAYS NEW CONSUMER SURVEY
The Advertising Observatory (Observatorio da Publicidade) of the national non-governmental Institute of Consumption has published the results of a survey conducted on food advertising directed at children and adolescents on TV and in the press during the second semester of 2005.

Spain: SENATE APPROVES MOTION TO REDUCE CHILDREN'S TV ADVERTISING TIME
The Spanish Senate has approved a motion tabled by the Popular Party (PP) to call for the reduction of children's advertising time on public channel TVE.

Spain: SR CHILDREN'S FOOD ADVERTISING CODE ENTERS INTO FORCE
The Spanish Self-Regulatory Code on Food Advertising to Children (PAOS) - finalised by the Spanish Food and Drinks Federation (FIAB) as part of the initiatives undertaken within the framework of the Health Ministry's National Anti-obesity Strategy (NAOS) - enters into force on 15 September.

UK: LIB-DEM EDUCATION SPOKESMAN PROPOSES A BAN ON 'JUNK' FOOD ADVERTISING TO CHILDREN
At a fringe meeting within the framework of the Conference of the Liberal Democrats held on 18-22 September in Blackpool, Liberal Democrat Shadow Education Secretary Edward Davey MP reportedly stated that 'junk' food advertising should be banned in an effort to reduce childhood obesity in England.

UK: FAILURE OF 'FIVE A DAY' GOVERNMENT CAMPAIGN SPURS CALLS FOR RESTRICTIONS ON FOOD ADVERTISING TO CHILDREN
The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health has released figures obtained from the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which show that, in spite of the 'Five A day' Department of Health campaign started in 2000 to encourage people to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, Britons are ignoring the advice and are eating fewer fruit and vegetables than before.

US: TV NETWORKS ASK FCC TO DELAY IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW CHILDREN'S TV DIGITAL RULES
Broadcast TV networks American Broadcasting Company (ABC), Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) and National Broadcasting Company (NBC) - also known as 'The Big Three' - have asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to delay the implementation of the new children's TV rules contained in an FCC document titled 'In the Matter of Children's Television Obligations of Digital Television Broadcasters'.

US: NARC announces initiatives to strengthen self-regulation of children's advertising
The National Advertising Review Council (NARC) – a coalition of the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), the American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA), the American Advertising Federation (AAF) and the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB) – has announced a series of initiatives to strengthen self-regulation of children's advertising.

US: Kraft announces withdrawal of certain food ads from children's websites
According to the Financial Times, US food manufacturer Kraft has pledged to withdraw certain high-sugar, high-fat and high-salt food products from websites aimed at children, as part of its announced self-imposed restrictions on food advertising to children under 12.