Children still exposed to unhealthy food advertising

The annual Child Marketing Monitor by research firm Panteia commissioned by the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport shows that there has been little to no change in children's exposure to advertising for unhealthy food and drink. The report also shows that despite a decrease in advertisements on television, there is a sharp increase on the internet and social media. 

The main conclusions of the report don't lie. Following children's shows and during occasional broadcasts of children's films, the researchers observed 458 advertisements for 83 different food brands, of which only five appear to comply with the Food Advertising Code. Child idols are still used almost as much on packaging as a year earlier, even though that is forbidden. Supermarket promotions featuring unhealthy food products are simply targeted at children. And online advertising, including on social media, has an increasingly important role in food manufacturers' marketing strategies. 

Food watchdog Foodwatch sees the investigation as confirmation of its earlier conclusion that the system of self-regulation by the Advertising Code Committee is not working and demands a strict ban on child marketing for unhealthy food products up to the age of 18.

View the Monitor Kindermarketing voor Voedingsproducten
Foodwatch.org