Children’s health campaigners in ’super-complaint’ to ASA

The Children’s Food Campaign (CFC) is this morning handing in 54 separate complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) concerning the online marketing of junk foods to children. Each of the offending company websites promote products which are classified as ’high in sugars or fat or salt’ and are clearly targeted at children. This marketing encourages poor nutritional habits by presenting junk foods in a positive light which influences the children’s food preferences and choices..

The ’super-complaint’ is issued to the ASA after correspondence from Ed Vaizey MP, the Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries encouraging the Children’s Food Campaign to lodge complaints where advertising rules have been broken. The Minister also stated his confidence that the ASA would take concerns of irresponsible food advertising seriously.

The complaints are drawn from a report published by CFC and the British Heart Foundation in December ’ The 21st century gingerbread house: How companies are marketing junk food to children online ’ which exposed how junk food manufacturers bombard kids online in order to push their unhealthy products. The report highlighted the unabashed use of brand characters, animations, games, competitions, promotions, videos and social networking sites which clearly target and are appealing to children.

None of the products complained about can be promoted during children’s television programmes because of Ofcom rules to protect children from junk food advertising. Yet due to a loophole in advertising regulations, companies are allowed to market these products and brands freely via the internet. The Children’s Food Campaign is calling for consistent advertising regulations across all forms of media to protect children and their future health.

Kather Hashem, of the Children’s Food Campaign said:

’The pervasive nature of online junk food marketing to children really leaves us with no choice but to submit this ’super-complaint’. It is time for the ASA to face the music: will it or will it not act to protect children from cynical junk food marketing practices?’

She continued:

"This is not just our challenge, but comes from Minister Ed Vaizey, who has expressed his faith in the current self-regulatory system. When the picture is clear, we will inform the Minister how the ASA has performed, so that he will be able to judge the effectiveness of the regulation for himself.’