Ajunk‐freechildhood: Responsiblestandardsformarketing foodsandbeveragestochildren   AbriefingpaperfromTheStanMarkProjectofthe InternationalAssociationfortheStudyofObesity  PreparedbyTimLobstein,TriinParnandAngeAikenhead     StanMark Standards for Marketing to children    Themarketingoffoodsandnon‐alcoholicbeverageswithahighcontentoffat, sugarorsaltreacheschildrenthroughouttheworld.Effortsmustbemadeto ensurethatchildreneverywhereareprotectedagainsttheimpactofsuch marketingandgiventheopportunitytogrowanddevelopinanenablingfood environment—onethatfostersandencourageshealthydietarychoicesand promotesthemaintenanceofhealthyweight.  DrAlaAlwan,AssistantDirectorGeneral, WorldHealthOrganization   StanMark Standards for marketing to children  TheStanMarkprojectbringstogetherresearchersandpolicy‐makerstodevelopasetofstandards formarketingfoodsandbeveragesconsistentwiththeresolutionoftheWorldHealthAssembly.  Objectives ConveneaseriesofmeetingsinEuropeandtheUSAtobringtogetherkeymembersofthescientific researchcommunityandpolicy‐makingcommunitytoconsiderhowmarketingfoodandbeverages mayaffectchildren’shealth. Identifycurrent‘bestpractice’approachestothecontrolofmarketing,includingmeasuresnot specificallyaddressingfood andbeveragemarketing,ornotspecificallydirectedtotheprotectionof children. Exploretheuseofstandardsandmarketingcodestoinfluencecommercialactivity,including standardsfromotherindustrialsectors. Proposeasetofstandardstoformthebasisforacross‐bordercodeofmarketingoffoodsand beverages. Developweb‐basedresourcesforpolicydevelopmentconcerningfoodandbeveragemarketingto childrenandrelatedmaterialstosupportpolicydevelopment.  Projectpartners  InternationalAssociationfortheStudyofObesity,London,UK  RuddCentreforFoodPolicyandObesity,YaleUniversity,NewHaven,Connectic ut,USA  PublicHealthNutrition,MetropolitanUniversityCollege,Copenhagen,Denmark    ©IASOJune2011  www.iaso.org      ThisreporthasbeenproducedwiththeassistanceoftheEuropeanUnionwithinthe frameworkofthePilotProjectonTransatlanticMethodsforHandlingGlobalChallenges. ThecontentsofthisreportarethesoleresponsibilityofIASOandcaninnowaybetaken toreflecttheviewsoftheEuropean Union.   Contents   Summary1  1.Background3  Policydevelopment3  Nextsteps4  2.Company‐ledself‐regulation6  Problemsofdefinitions6  Whatageisachild?6  Whichproductscanbepromoted?7  Whichmedia?8   Furthergapsincompany‐ledself‐regulation9 Company‐ownedwebsites9  Socialnetworkingsites10  Generalisedbranding11  Schoolsandotherchildren’ssettings12  Characterlicensingandbrandequitycharacters  13  Productdesignandpackaging15  Shopdisplays15  Child‐to‐childmarketing15  Newtechnology16  3.Proposedstandards18  Standard1:Specifyingthe foodsandbeverages   18  Standard2:Agegroups18  Standard3:Mediausedformarketingmessages  19  Standard4:Marketingmethods19  Standard5:Useofbrands20  Standard6:Settingsandlocations20  Standard7:Accountability21  Appendix WorldHealthOrganizationSetofRecommendationsonthe  MarketingofFoodsandNon‐alcoholicBeveragestoChildren 22   1  Summary  Duringthelastdecadeconsumergroups,parentsandteachers’bodies,andpublichealth advocacyorganisationshavecalledforgreatercontrolonthemarketingoffoodsand beveragestochildren.Anumberofauthoritativereportshavehighlightedtheneedto restrictsuchmarketingtoensurethatchildrenarenotundulyinfluencedtoconsumefoods highinfats,sugarandsalt.A2009reviewofregulations(thePolMarkstudy 1 )suggestedthat successfulregulationrequiredgovernmentleadershipwithspecifiedtimelinesandclear, measurableobjectives.In2010theWorldHealthAssemblypassedaResolutionwhichurged memberstatestointroducecontrolsonthemarketingoffoodsandbeveragestochildren, andissuedasetofRecommendationsidentifyingtheapproachesthatcouldbetaken 2 .  Theseincreasingcallsforactionhaveledtoaseriesofpolicyresponses,including government‐ledvoluntaryagreementswithindustryandstatutoryregulation.Ofparticular importanceistheresponseofleadingfoodandbeveragecompanies,whohaveproposed theproposedaseriesofcompany‐ledpledgestoreducetheirmarketingactivitiesdirected atchildren.Thesepledgescovertypesofmarketingpracticewhichmaylieoutsidethe traditionalindustry‐widecodesofconductandnationalregulationsonadvertising.  However,comparisonofdifferentcompanypledgesandstatementsshowsadegreeof inconsistency,asshowninthisreport,whichmakesevaluationoftheimpactofthepledges hardtoassess.Furthermorethereappeartobelapsesintheadherencetothesepledges withinEurope,andevidencethattheyarenotappliedinotherregions(givingriseto‘off‐ shore’marketingtoEuropeanchildrenviatheinternet)socallingintoquestionthe companies’strengthofcommitment.  Inordertoassistgovernmentsandguideindustry,theStanMarkprojectundertookaseries ofpolicyandresearchmeetingsinvolvingexpertsandofficialsfromcountriesinEuropeand NorthAmerica,fundedunderthePilotProjectsprogrammeoftheEuropeanUnion’s ExternalAffairsService 3 .  Fromthesemeetingsaseriesofproposalsweregeneratedandarepresentedhereforuse byWHOmemberstategovernments.Forcross‐bordermarketingitisintendedthatthe foodandadvertisingindustrieswillrecognisetheadvantagesofacommon,universalsetof standardsapplicabletoallcompaniesandwhich canprotectchildrenacrosstheglobe.  ThestandardsproposedarebasedontheWHOrecommendations,whichidentifyboth ‘exposure’and‘power’asindependentfactorsdeterminingtheeffectivenessofmarketing messages.TheStanMarkprojectproposesthefollowing: • Arisk‐basedapproach,allowingthepromotionoffruit,vegetablesetctochildren, but prohibitingthemarketingoffoodsandbeverageshighinsaturatedfat,transfat,sugars andsalt.  1 Seehttp://www.iaso.org/policy/euprojects/polmarkproject/ 2 Seehttp://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/marketing‐food‐to‐children/en/index.html 3 Seehttp://www.eeas.europa.eu/us/grants/pilot_projects/index_en.htm 2  • Riskreduction:byreducingtheexposureandpoweroffoodmarketingmessagesseen bychildren. • Childrenarepersonswhohavenotyetreachedanagewhentheyarelegallyconsidered tobecompetenttoprotecttheirownwelfare. • Foodstobepromotedarethoseproductswhichconformtonationalandinternational dietaryguidelinessupportingWHO’sGlobalStrategytopreventobesityandchronic disease. • Marketingmediaarethosewhichcarrymarketingmessages,including:packaging, productformulationandpresentation,andsportsevents. • Marketingtechniquesincludealltechniqueswithspecialappealtochildrenand adolescents. • Non‐specificbrandpromotionshouldbeassumedtobeprohibitedunlessthepromotion isspecificallyandonlyforpermittedproducts. • Marketinglocationsincluderetailandcateringplacesandsettingswherechildrenmay beundulyexposed–i.e.wherechildrengather. • Accountablebodiesarethosewitha‘dutyofcare’inthemarketingprocess,including mediadistributors,webhostsandinternetserviceproviders.  3  1Background  Forachild,excessbodyweightisariskfactorforlateradultdisease,includingdiabetes, heartdisease,severalmajorcancersandotherchronicdiseases.Childhoodoverweightis associatedwithimpairedhealthduringchildhooditself,includingpsycho‐socialdistress, increasedriskofhighbloodpressure,insulinresistanceandfattyliverdiseasewhichmay continueuntreatedformanyyears.Onceestablished,obesityinchildren(asinadults)is hardtoreverse.Primarypreventionisessential.  Marketingofpotentiallyunhealthyfoodproductsisrecognisedasapossiblefactorinchild obesityandwasidentifiedasariskinanexpertreportfortheWorldHealthOrganizationin 2002 4 .SystematicreviewsconductedintheUKin2003, 5 intheUSAin2005 6 andforthe EuropeanParliament, 7 allconcludedthat,despitesubstantialgapsintheevidence, advertisinghadasufficienteffectonchildobesitytomeritaction.  Policydevelopment  TheissueoffoodmarketingtochildrenisnowhighonthepolicyagendainEurope.This followsthecallforthefoodindustrytoregulateitself,issuedin2005bythenHealth CommissionerMarkosKyprianou,andthepan‐EuropeanMinisterialCharteronObesity agreedinIstanbul,September2006, 8 whichcalledfor“theregulationstosubstantially reducetheextentandimpactofcommercialpromotionofenergy‐densefoodsand beverages,particularlytochildren,withthedevelopmentofinternationalapproaches,such asacodeonmarketingtochildreninthisarea”.  TheEuropeanCommission’s2007WhitePaperonobesitynotedtheneedforactioninthis areaand,whilesupportingvoluntaryinitiatives,promisedareviewin2010todetermine whetherotherapproachesarerequired. 9 TheCommission’shealthandconsumer directorate,DGSanco,hashostedaseriesofmeetingsbetweencivilsocietyandindustry representativesintheEuropeanPlatformonDiet,PhysicalActivityandHealthdiscussing industryself‐regulation.In2007theWorldHealthAssemblycalledforrecommendationson marketingtochildren,includingcross‐border issues 10 whichwerepresentedtotheWorld HealthAssemblyin2010.In2009,theWHOEuropeanRegionalNetworkontheProtection ofChildrenfromMarketingPressureproposedasetofstandardsforadvertisingfoodto children. 11   4 WHO(2002)Diet,NutritionandthePreventionofChronicDiseases.TechnicalReportSeries916.See http://whqlibdoc.who.int/trs/WHO_TRS_916.pdf 5 DoesFoodPromotionInfluenceChildren?ASystematicReviewoftheEvidenceFoodStandardsAgency,London2003.See http://www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2003/sep/promote 6 FoodMarketingtoChildrenandYouth:ThreatorOpportunity?Institute ofMedicine,WashingtonDC2005. 7 AdvertisingandmarketingpracticesonchildobesityDGInternalPolicies,EuropeanParliament,Brussels,2008. IP/A/ENVI/NT/2007‐20&21.(PE400.989) 8 EuropeanCharteroncounteractingobesity,paragraph2.4.6,EUR/06/5062700/8,61995.WorldHealthOrganisation, RegionalOfficeforEurope,2006.Seehttp://www.euro.who.int/Document/E89567.pdf. 9 AStrategyforEuropeonNutrition,OverweightandObesityrelatedhealthissues.COM(2007)279Page6.Brussels. 10 ResolutionWHA60.23.WorldHealthAssemblyGeneva,2007.See http://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA60/A60_R23‐en.pdf 11 CodeonMarketingofFoodandNon‐AlcoholicBeveragestoChildren,EuropeanNetworkonreducing marketingpressureonchildren,2009.Seehttp://www.helsedirektoratet.no/marketing 4   AEuropeanParliamentaryreportintotheissuerecommendedthat,whiletheevidence remainedcontestable,actionshouldbetakentoprotectchildrenonaprecautionarybasis, 12  andtheEuropeanParliamentin2008resolvedthatstrongermeasuresshouldbeconsidered ifa2010‐11reviewoftheself‐regulatoryapproachshowedinadequateprogress 13 .  IntheUSAthereisrisinginterestovertheroleofindustryinpromotingpoordietsto children,withareviewoftheissuebytheInstituteofMedicinein2004‐5 14 .Thisfollowed actionatlocalleveltoreducethepromotionofpoordietsinschools,andareportbytheUS GeneralAccountingOfficeonthelargenumberofmethodsusedbyfoodandbeverage marketerstoaccesschildrenatschool. 15   Furthermovestorestrictmarketingfollowedameetingofresearchersandpolicyadvisors heldinlateJuly2009intheWhiteHousebyMichelleObama,focussingonchildobesityand opportunitiesforinterventions.TheUSFederalTradeCommissionpublishedawidely‐cited reportonmarketingfoodtochildrenin2008 16 ,andhasheldaseriesofconsultationson proposedcriteriaforrestringmarketing,developedbythefederalgovernment’s InteragencyWorkingGroup(theFTC,theUSDA,theCDCandtheFDA). 17 InMay2010the GroceryManufacturersofAmericapledgedtocut1.5trillioncaloriesfromtheUSdietby 2015. 18 OfspecificconcernintheUSA,asitisinEurope,isthequestionofself‐regulationby theindustryversusstatutoryregulation,withindustrypromisesbeingwatchedbytheWhite Houseandmonitoredbyindependentagencies 19 .  Nextsteps  Recentresearchhasstrengthenedtheevidencebaseforaction,butcrucialworkonthe impactonparticularpopulationsubgroups,suchaschildreninlowerincomefamilies, childreninspecificculturalandethnicgroups,ornewimmigrantfamilies,needstobe extended.Atthesametimethetechnologyforadvertisinghaschanged,withnewformsof media(i.e.internet,cellphones)becomingavailabletolargernumbersofchildrenand offeringlow‐cost,effectivemeansofreachingchildrendirectlyformarketingpurposes. Furthermore,cross‐bordermarketing–e.g.usinginternet,satellite,andproductplacement inimportedprogrammes–isnotamenabletocontrolbyasinglejurisdiction.  12 TheEffectofAdvertisingandMarketingPracticesonChildObesity.EconomicandScientificPolicy,DGInternalPolicies, EuropeanParliament,Brussels,2008.IP/A/ENVI/ST/2007‐16.(PE393.525) 13 Item40,EuropeanParliamentresolutionof25September2008ontheWhitePaperonnutrition,overweight andobesity‐relatedhealthissues.P6_TA(2008)0461. 14 FoodMarketingtoChildrenandYouth:ThreatorOpportunity?InstituteofMedicine,WashingtonDC2005. 15 CommercialActivitiesinSchools.USGeneralAccountingOfficeGAO/HEHS‐00‐156,2001(alsoGAO‐04‐810, 2004). 16 MarketingFoodToChildrenandAdolescents:AReviewofIndustryExpenditures,Activities,andSelf‐ Regulation:AFederalTradeCommissionReportToCongress.FederalTradeCommission,WashingtonDC,July 2008.Seehttp://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/07/foodmkting.shtm 17 FederalTradesCommission(2011)InteragencyWorkingGroupSeeksInputonProposedVoluntaryPrinciples forMarketingFoodtoChildren.Seehttp://www.ftc.gov/opa/2011/04/foodmarket.shtm 18 Seehttp://www.gmaonline.org/news‐events/newsroom/gma‐statement‐regarding‐hwcf‐pledge‐to‐reduce‐ 15‐trillion‐calories‐by‐2015/ 19 BlackJ,(18/05/2010)MichelleObamaapplaudsfoodindustrygroup'spledgetotrimcalories.Washington Post.Seehttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp‐dyn/content/article/2010/05/17/AR2010051703895.html 5  bordermarketing,usinginternet,satellite,andproductplacementinimportedprogrammes, isnotamenabletocontrolbyasinglejurisdiction.  Inresponsetopublicconcern,civilsocietyorganisationshaveproposedstandardswhich wouldapplytocommercialoperatorsinallcountriesandtherebyprotectchildrenwhether ornotthelocalregulatoryenvironmentwasabletodoso.Suchstandardswouldhave considerablemoralauthorityandwouldactasa‘soft’regulatoryprocessakintotheforms ofgovernanceknowninEuropeastheOpenMethodofCoordination,i.e.theyrelyon identificationofgoodandbadpracticesandpublicitytoencouragehighstandards.  InMay2010the63 rd WorldHealthAssemblyof193governmentsendorsedasetof recommendationsonmarketingoffoodsandnon‐alcoholicbeveragestochildrenandcalled forinternationalactiontoreducetheimpactonchildrenofthemarketingoffoodsor beverageshighinsaturatedortransfats,freesugarsorsalt(HSTFSS). 20 The recommendationsformedpartoftheWorldHealthOrganization’sglobalstrategyforthe preventionandcontrolofnon‐communicablediseases.TheAssemblyurgedmember nationstotakeactiontoreduceboththeexposureofchildrento,andthepowerof, marketingforsuchfoods.  However,nationalgovernmentsmaynotbeabletocontrolallthemarketingpracticesthat influenceachild’sdiet.MarketingopportunitiesarisewhenTVchannelsarereceivedfrom sourcesoutsidenationalboundaries,whenInternetaccessislargelyunmediated,when sponsoredsportingeventsaretransmittedglobally,andwhenfilmsandvideogamesare tradedacrossnationalborders.Itfollowsthatasetofuniversalstandardscanhelpto ensurethatthemarketingofHSTFSSproductscanfullycomplywiththeWorldHealth Assembly’srecommendations.  Universalmarketingstandardshavefurtherbenefits.Restrictedmarketingcanserveto equalisethecompetitiveenvironmentforcompaniesofdifferentsizes.Froman enforcementviewpoint,aset ofuniversalstandardscansupportnationalauthorities,the privatesectorandcivilsocietytoensurecomplianceandtorespondtoinfringements. Further,wherenationalauthoritiesdonothavethecapacitytoensurechildrenand adolescentsareprotectedfromlocalorcross‐bordermarketingoffoodsandbeverages,a setofinternationally‐agreedstandardscanensureacommon,minimumlevelofprotection foryoungpeopleinallnations.    20 WHO,2010.63 rd WorldHealthAssembly.http://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA63/A63_R14‐ en.pdf.Seealsohttp://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/publications/recsmarketing/en/index.html 6   2.Company‐ledself‐regulation  Inthissectionwefocusoncompany‐ledvoluntaryinitiativeswhichseektoextendbeyond theindustry‐widemarketingcodesandadvertisingco‐regulatorymechanisms.Weconsider someofthemoreprominentproblemsthathavebeenencounteredwithindustry‐ledself‐ regulatoryapproaches.Theexamplesaredrawnprimarilyfromcompanyactivitiesin Europe,althoughitshouldbenotedthatthesamecompanies’websitesinotherregionsare easilyaccessedbyEuropeanchildren.Inthiswaycompaniescan‘off‐shore’someoftheir marketingactivitiesdirectedtochildreninEurope.  Severalconcernsaroundself‐regulationarise.Self‐imposedrulesmaybe: • poorlyorinconsistentlydefined • erraticallyorinsufficientlymonitored • weaklyorinconsistentlyenforced  Thisreportwillnotexploretheissuesofmonitoringandenforcement,althoughtheseare seriousconcernsthatneedtobeaddressedbypolicy‐makers.Atpresent,monitoringand complaint‐handlingbodiesdonotenforcecompany‐ledinitiatives.Alackofanindependent complaintmechanismcanleaveconsumersfrustrated,andalackofenforcementallows company‐ledinitiativestoberolledbackatanytime.Ifamonitoringandcomplaint‐ handlingbodywereestablisheditwouldneedtogainconsumerconfidence,forwhichit wouldneed(a)tobetransparentinoperationwithroutineregularpublicationsoftheir activities;(b)tobeindependentandfreefromindustryinfluence,andseentobeso;and(c) toensurethattheirservicesareeasilyandinexpensivelyaccessedbyconsumers.Penalties mustbecommensuratewiththesizeofthemarketingbudgetsinvolvedandwiththe estimatedexposureofchildrentotheoffendingcommercialmessages.  Afurtherconcernistheneedtoensurethat,whateverthedifferencesindefinitionsor approaches,allcompaniesshouldmakesomecommitmenttoofferself‐restraint.Inthe Europeanregiononly11companieshavejoinedthescheme,alongwiththeEuropean SnacksAssociation.Severalmajorcompanies,includingMcDonald’s,KFCandHaribo,and manysmalleronesarenotincluded.   Problemsofdefinitions  Companieschoosetherulestoimposeuponthemselves.Asaresulttherearelikelytobe discrepanciesandinconsistencies.Hereweshalllookatsuchproblemsencounteredwithin thepledgesandpromisesandactivitiesundertakenbycompaniesintheEuropeanUnion.  Whatageisachild?  Thetablebelowprovidesexamplesofdefinitionsoftheage‐rangefor‘child’bycompanies participatingintheEUpledgescheme.Pleasenotethattheinterpretationofacompany policycanbecomplex,andreadersareadvisedtocheckthecompanystatementsfor themselves(hyperlinksareprovided). 7   Table1AgedefinitionsincompanyEUpledges(clickhyperlinkfordetails) Organization Agefornomarketing Ageformarketingofspecifiedproducts  Coca‐Cola <12* Ferrero <12* Mars <12**** GeneralMills/CPW 0‐6 6‐12 Nestlé 0‐6~ 6‐12~~ Unilever 0‐6 6‐12** Kellogg 0‐6* 6‐12 +  Kraft 0‐6** 6‐11/12 ++ ** Danone 0‐3 3‐12* BurgerKing  0‐12*** PepsiCo  0‐12* *≥50%ofaudiencemustbechildren;**≥35%ofaudiencemustbechildren;***≥30%ofaudiencemustbe children.****≥25%ofaudiencemustbechildren.~unlessanadultispresent.~~unlessadults predominate. + ≥35%forsomeshowsand≥50%forothers. ++ 11forprintmedia,otherwise12.   Whichproductscanbepromoted?  IntheUSAalargenumberofcompany‐promotedmodelshavebeenproposedfordefining thenutritionalcriteriaforfoodstobemarketedtochildren 21 andasimilarproblemhas ariseninEurope.Thenexttablegivesexamplesofnutrientmethodsfordefiningfoodsas suitableformarketingtochildren,asproposedbysomeofthecompaniesintheEUpledge:  Table2Company‐setcriteriaforfoodstheycanmarkettochildren Company Energy (kcal) Total fat Saturated fat Trans fat Added sodium Added sugar Notes BurgerKing perchild’s meal ≤560 <30% energy <10%energy 0g≤660mg≤10% energy Noartificial colourings, flavourings Kelloggper serving ≤200‐ ≤2g 0g≤230mg≤12g Exceptionsfor waffles. GeneralMills perserving withoutmilk <175‐ ≤1.7g‐≤200mg≤12g Wholegrain≥8g; vitamins&minerals ≥15%RDAper100g PepsiCoper specified amount ≤150 (snacks) ≤35% energy ≤10%energy <0.5g≤150mg≤10% energy Cholesterol≤30mg; exceptionsforsome products Unilever‐‐≤13%energy and ≤33%of totalfat ≤2% energy ≤1,6 mg/kcal ≤7g/100g Totalsugars≤25% energy;exceptions forsomeproducts  Kraft Specificcriteriafordifferentfoodgroups. Nestlé Specificcriteriafordifferentfoodgroups.  21 BetterBusinessBureauCouncil(2008)TheChildren’sFood&BeverageAdvertisingInitiativeInAction.See http://www.bbb.org/us/storage/16/documents/CFBAI/ChildrenF&BInit_Sept21.pdf [...]... Proposal: Risk reduction means excluding techniques with special appeal to children and adolescents. This includes the use of cartoon characters, animation, celebrities, sports  personalities, and the colouring, shaping and design of products and packaging likely to have  a particular appeal to children and adolescents.    A high standard: A comprehensive approach acknowledges that children and adolescents ... Issue: The promotion of some foods and beverages can undermine children s dietary health.     Proposal: Risk reduction means promoting only those food and beverage products which  conform to national dietary guidelines and international standards supporting the WHO  Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health29.     A high standard: Food and beverages should be categorised according to a validated  nutrient profiling system. Examples may include the UK Ofcom model used to regulate ... Convention on Tobacco Control provides a comprehensive definition: ‘all forms of  commercial communication, recommendation or action and any form of contribution to an  event, activity or individual’.35     Standard 4: Marketing methods     Issue: Most marketing works below conscious awareness, and children in particular may be  vulnerable to marketing messages of special appeal to them. Many marketing methods fall  outside current advertising regulations. ... presentation are included, as are sponsored sports events and product placements.    A high standard: A comprehensive approach assumes all media unless specifically  exempted. Media broadcast across several time zones should be assumed to reach children and adolescents. Examples from other sectors include Facebook, which prohibits tobacco  and gambling marketing and restricts alcohol marketing. 34 For tobacco, the Framework  Convention on Tobacco Control provides a comprehensive definition: ‘all forms of ... target age groups should be significantly above the minimum legal age: an example is the  ban on targeting alcoholic beverages to people under age 25 required by Facebook in India  and Sweden.33 For food and beverages,  the UK Ofcom regulations apply during television  programmes which appeal to children under age 16.     Standard 3: Media used for marketing messages    Issue: Children have access to a wide range of media. In addition, cross‐border media  services are not easily controlled by the jurisdiction in the territory where the message is ... In this section we propose standards based on a responsible approach to marketing on the  understanding that children should not be subjected to inducements to consume products  which, if consumed routinely, are likely to be detrimental to their health. Where available  we show examples of the use of similar standards in other sectors.    Standard 1: Specifying the foods and beverages     Issue: The promotion of some foods and beverages can undermine children s dietary health.  ... apply to ‘product promotion, distribution, selling, advertising, product public relations, and information services’. These phrases can be adapted with the addition of ‘able to influence a child’.     Standard 5: Use of brands    Issue: Products and media may carry a brand identity for a company linked to food or  beverage products without specifying a food or beverage or giving an explicit marketing message.     Proposal: Risk reduction means brands with recognisable links to food and beverage ... indicators Research 12 Member States are encouraged to identify existing information on the extent, nature and effects of food marketing to children in their country They are also encouraged to support further research in this area, especially research focused on implementation and evaluation of policies to reduce the impact on children of marketing of foods high in saturated fats, trans-fatty acids,... Set of Recommendations on the Marketing of Foods and Non‐alcoholic  Beverages to Children4 2    Rationale 1 The policy aim should be to reduce the impact on children of marketing of foods high in saturated fats, trans-fatty acids, free sugars, or salt 2 Given that the effectiveness of marketing is a function of exposure and power, the overall policy objective should be to reduce both the exposure of children to, and power of, marketing. .. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/21/business/media/21xbox.html?_r=2&ref=media     17    Proposed standards   As noted earlier, the objective of universal standards is to institute rules which achieve  maximum protection while remaining practical and economical in application. Although it  could be proposed that children should not be exposed to any marketing,  the present  document takes a ‘risk‐based’ approach to reducing exposure to the marketing of food and . A junk‐free childhood: Responsible standards for marketing foods and beverages to children   A briefingpaperfromTheStanMarkProjectofthe InternationalAssociation for theStudyofObesity  PreparedbyTimLobstein,TriinParn and AngeAikenhead     StanMark Standards for Marketing to children.    The marketing of foods and non‐alcoholic beverages with a highcontentoffat, sugarorsaltreaches children throughouttheworld.Effortsmustbemade to ensurethat children everywhereareprotectedagainsttheimpactofsuch marketing and giventheopportunity to grow and developinanenablingfood environment—onethatfosters and encourageshealthydietarychoices and promotesthemaintenanceofhealthyweight.  DrAlaAlwan,AssistantDirectorGeneral, WorldHealthOrganization   StanMark Standards for marketing to children  TheStanMarkprojectbringstogetherresearchers and policy‐makers to develop a setof standards for marketing foods and beverages consistentwiththeresolutionoftheWorldHealthAssembly.  Objectives Convene a seriesofmeetingsinEurope and theUSA to bringtogetherkeymembersofthescientific researchcommunity and policy‐makingcommunity to considerhow marketing food and beverages mayaffect children shealth. Identifycurrent‘bestpractice’approaches to thecontrolof marketing, includingmeasuresnot specificallyaddressingfood and beverage marketing, ornotspecificallydirected to theprotectionof children.  Exploretheuseof standards and marketing codes to influencecommercialactivity,including standards fromotherindustrialsectors. Propose a setof standards to formthebasis for a cross‐bordercodeof marketing of foods and beverages.  Developweb‐basedresources for policydevelopmentconcerningfood and beverage marketing to children and relatedmaterials to supportpolicydevelopment.  Projectpartners 