POSTED: 24 OCTOBER 2010

Self-regulation of food marketing to children — is it working?*

In Australia, food marketing to children is regulated through a mixed approach of statutory regulations and industry self-regulation, resulting in a complex and confusing system, which relies on public complaints to monitor compliance.

Cancer Council NSW has established the junkbusters.com.au website to assist consumers register their concern about food-marketing messages to children. Junkbusters provides information on regulations covering all forms of media, outlines the complaints process and enables consumers to make informed complaints about junk food marketing to children.

Research shows that food marketing contributes to the ‘obesogenic’ environment in Australia and around the world. The World Health Organisation has called for national and international action to reduce the impact on children of the marketing of foods high in saturated fats, trans-fatty acids, free sugars, or salt.

Systematic reviews indicate that food and beverage marketing influences the preferences and purchase requests of children, influences consumption (at least in the short term), is a likely contributor to less healthy diets and may contribute to health risks among children and youth.

In 2009, the National Preventative Health Taskforce recommended that definitions and criteria for determining unhealthy food and beverages be developed and the impact of voluntary selfregulation be monitored, evaluated and escalated to enforced legislation if the voluntary forms are unsuccessful. Finally, the report recommended the introduction of legislation within four years if those measures are not demonstrated to be effective.

In May 2010, the Government’s response to the report was to continue to monitor the impact of voluntary industry initiatives to ensure their effectiveness in reducing children’s exposure to such advertising.

According to recent research children still see the same amount of television advertising for unhealthy foods as they did before industry self-regulation was introduced last year. As well, advertisers are using new forms of marketing such as games embedded with advertising, promotions using social networking sites and viral marketing.

In addition to the academic research demonstrating the failure of the current regulations, Cancer Council believes the most effective way to drive a decision to establish real restrictions in relation to junk food marketing and children, will be via public support.

The Junkbusters website will harness this public support and provide an independent indicator of the effectiveness of current regulations and any unmet need for national statutory regulation to reduce children’s exposure to unhealthy food marketing.

*Based on media release issued by The Australia Institute.